


Balance Beam

by amaronith



Category: Jak and Daxter
Genre: F/M, Genderbending, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-11-02
Updated: 2010-12-18
Packaged: 2017-10-13 00:54:34
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 23,391
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/131014
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amaronith/pseuds/amaronith
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Daxter gets changed back into a human, only something is not quite right…</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Girl Trouble

**Author's Note:**

> **Content notes:** Sex of the het and slash variety, hinted at femmeslash (sort of?), hints of ottselsmut (Are we really surprised to find that from me, though?), some moments of really terrible prose, and finally gender bending and Jak's poor perverted little mind.
> 
>  **Author's Notes:** Blame Robin. This is all her fault. I'm not sure how, but it totally is. Also, This is is only partly written. I tried to have it finished before National Novel Writing Month (all of November) started, but it wasn't meant to be. However, this will not stop me from posting what I _do_ have completed over the course of the month for your enjoyment, and will hopefully get it completely finished before the New Year.

"Remind me again why we're here, Jak? Because I seem to recall saying something about a _relaxing vacation_ and a relaxing vacation means _no missions._ "

Jak grinned at his companion. "What, you don't find this relaxing?"

"WE ARE SUSPENDED HUNDREDS OF FEET ABOVE THE FLOOR BY A TEENY LITTLE ROPE, JAK! RELAXED AND I AREN'T EVEN ON _SPEAKING TERMS_ BY THIS POINT!" Daxter screeched and Jak winced, rubbing at his ear. "JAK! Don't let go of the rope!"

"Then don't scream in my ear! Jeez, Dax, have a little faith in me will you?"

"I have plenty of faith in _you_ , just not in this rope, Jak! It's breaking!" Daxter pointed up to where the rope was starting to snap.

Jak loosened his grip on the rope and slid down it faster, "Hang on Dax!"

" _JAK!_ "

There was a flare of ice blue as Jak's wings unfurled and caught the air, letting them glide down safely as the rest of the rope fell into a heap on the ground, the frayed remains dangling from the hole in the ceiling they entered from. Jak landed gingerly and dropped his light form, rubbing his temples. "That was fun."

"You have sick ideas about _fun,_ Jak," Daxter grumbled, clinging tightly to Jak's shoulder guard. "Let's not do that again."

"I agree with you on that much, Dax. But check this place out…" Jak looked around, picking up the blue eco sticks they had dropped to see how far down the floor was. The blue light they emitted revealed lines of consoles with dark screens and a strange pattern on the floor.

"I wonder what all these consoles are for. And what's with the floor, I've never seen anything like that before." Daxter hopped down off Jak's shoulder to peer at the pattern as Jak wandered over to the consoles. The pattern seemed to lead somewhere and Daxter followed it.

Jak stroked a hand along a dusty console, jumping slightly when it flared to life. "Whoa!" Daxter let out a startled noise and Jak whirled around to find Daxter standing in the middle of a glowing circle. "Dax, you okay?"

"It's not letting me move!" Daxter was struggling, but he couldn't seem to move his feet. "What the hell did you- _GAH!_ " Daxter let out a sharp cry as the circle grew brighter and a beam of light shot down from the ceiling completely obscuring Daxter from view. "JAK, DO SOMETHING!!"

Jak whirled back around and started pressing buttons on the console, his breath catching in his throat as Daxter started to scream. "Stupid fucking machine; let him _go!_ " Jak drew his fist back and punched the console, leaving a huge, violently sparking dent in the metal and a crack in one of the screens. Daxter screamed louder for a moment before the light completely vanished and there was a thud, a thud that was far too loud to be the noise of one little ottsel falling to the ground. Jak turned and blinked at the redhead who was sprawled on the floor. "…Dax?"

"Oh man….that was painful." The redhead whimpered, sitting up and revealing that the redhead was, in fact, a topless woman.

Oh God.

Jak flushed bright red. "….Daxter?"

"What the hell was that, anyway?" The redhead blinked, reaching a hand out to Jak. "Jak? What's- _Holy yakow, I'm human!_ " Daxter stared at his hands, holding them up in front of his face.

"D-Dax…" Jak dragged his eyes away from her chest. "You, uh, might want to cover up."

"Cover up?" Daxter looked down and let out a strangled noise. "I'm a _woman!_ Damn it, Jak, what the hell did you do to me, you jerk?!"

"Wait, how is this _my_ fault?!" Jak turned to glare at Daxter, but he caught sight of her breasts again and flushed redder than a stoplight and turned away again. "WILL YOU COVER UP?!"

"With _WHAT,_ smart guy?! Huh? And it's your fault because you're the one touching things that you shouldn't have! You _know_ Precursor stuff reacts to you weirdly!" Daxter crossed her arms over her chest, glaring at Jak.

"That doesn't mean it's my fault you're a chick!" Jak scowled at her. _You know, Daxter's kind of cute like this_ , he thought in the back of his mind before he shook himself and growled, fingers going up to his eco ring to remove the straps.

"What the hell are you _doing_?!"

"I'm giving you my shirt." Eco ring, holster and jet board set gently on the ground, Jak peeled out of his shirt and held it out to Daxter. "Here."

Daxter stared at it, then back up at Jak, arms still crossed over her chest. "...But what about you? You hate going shirtless." The scars from Jak's time as the Baron's experiment were prominent on his body, though some of the worst ones were covered by other scars gotten fighting metal heads and death bots.

Jak shook his shirt, still not looking at Daxter. "I can handle it. Just take it and put it on, will you?! It's hard to have a conversation with you topless!"

Jak's shirt was snatched from his hand, and when he turned to look he blushed even redder as Daxter ran her hands over her breasts, now covered by Jak's shirt. He wasn't sure that it was much of an improvement if Daxter kept touching herself like that. "You know Jak, you really can't help yourself, can you?"

"I'm sorry?" Jak jerked his eyes up to Daxter's face, fully prepared to see one pissed off former ottsel glaring at him, but instead was met with a patiently fond look, if not a slightly aggravated one.

"You can't help yourself. You _have_ to help people. You just literally gave the shirt off your back to help me."

Jak's ears slatted back. Oh great, now he was even more embarrassed than before! "I couldn't let you walk around shirtless, Dax. First of all, you'd get into trouble the minute we entered Spargus, second of all it's really distracting!"

"Oh yeah? Who's more likely to cause zoomer crashes walking around shirtless, Jak, me or you? I'll give you a hint, it ain't me."

Jak rolled his eyes and picked up is eco ring and holster to put it back on. "Yeah, okay, whatever Dax. I get it, I scare people."

Daxter slapped her forehead. "Jak, do you pay any attention at all? Kras Racing Monthly has you listed as the sexiest man in racing! You beat out Razer for the position!"

"Whatever, Dax. Come on, let's get out of here."

"....You're seriously going to walk around wearing that without a shirt?"

Jak sighed and held his hand out to Daxter. "I need to carry you out of here, it doesn't make sense for me to carry it and you when I could just wear it out."

"...whatever." Daxter walked over to Jak and let him scoop her up into his arms. "But you owe me, pal. You owe me _big_."

"What?"

"This is still your fault!"

"How is this my fault?!"

"Because it certainly ain't mine!"

Jak grumbled and hit the light eco, wings unfurling once more before powerful flaps got them into the air and toward the hole in the ceiling.

–

"- _And_ you can pay for a full body massage along with my stay at that five star hotel in Kras City," Daxter said, glaring sidelong at Jak as he packed the car in Spargus' garage. "And the masseuse better be a hot chick, Jak, I'm not kidding!"

Jak rolled his eyes. "Is that all, Dax?" Most of it actually wouldn't hurt their bank account too much. With all the credits he made doing odd jobs for Torn and Ashelin, plus the stuff he got from the monks for his Precursor artifacts and Daxter's part of the earnings from the Naughty Ottsel, Daxter's requests weren't all that unreasonable. Well, alright, the gold plated hot tub filled with chocolate (slightly minty) and hot babes was a little unreasonable, but Jak wasn't too surprised by the request. Though what Daxter thought she'd _do_ with hot babes while in the body of a woman Jak didn't want to think about. Not while he was driving, anyway.

"I'll let you know when I think of something else!" Daxter climbed out of the buggy with a huff though she pulled up short with a choked noise at the low whistle from Kleiver reached her ears.

"Well well well. Looks like the ankle biter traded his annoying rat for a cute redhead. Nice upgrade."  
Kleiver gave Daxter an approving once over, and Daxter wrinkled her nose in disgust.

" _Ew,_ much?"

Jak stepped in between the two. "Kleiver, back off."

"Not too keen on sharing, eh? Don't blame you, nipper. Feel like racing for her?"

"Oh _hell no!_ Jak, don't you even _think about it!_ " Daxter snapped at Jak, bristling.

Jak snorted. "Not happening, Kleiver. Not only would you lose, _again_ , but you don't have _anything_ that's even worth half as much as she is, much less anything I want."

"Whatever. She's probably more trouble than she's worth, though I've got some spare rope if you need it."

Daxter let out a strange, strangled squawking noise. " _WHAT?!_ "

Jak could feel his face heating up and prayed that Kleiver took it as from being out in the sun. "I've got it covered, Kleiver. We have to go see Sig, so, uh, yeah. Later." Jak grabbed Daxter's arm and dragged her away while she sputtered angrily and Kleiver laughed.

"That tubby bastard! Let me go, Jak, I'll kill him!"

"Take it easy Dax, let's just go talk to Sig so he can get the monks out there, and maybe they can figure out a way to change you back."

"Back into _what_ , an ottsel or a dude?!" Daxter growled at him.

Jak's ears pinned back. "A guy, Dax. Back into a guy!"

Daxter huffed again. "The sand is hurting my feet, Jak."

"What do you want me to do about it?" Daxter gave him a level look, and Jak blinked at her. "...What?"

She hopped onto his back, arms going around his shoulders as she wrapped her legs around his waist. "You _owe me._ "

Jak grunted, thrown off balance before he caught himself and reached down to grip her thighs. "Seriously, Dax?"

" _You. Owe. Me. Big._ "

Jak shook his head and started toward the palace again, ignoring the looks they were getting. They must have looked pretty strange: Jak shirtless in his eco ring and shoulder guard, with a strange girl _wearing_ his shirt on his back. Especially if they just heard his conversation with Kleiver. He couldn't believe he let Kleiver believe that Daxter was some kind of _property_. "Dax....about what happened with Kleiver-"

"At least you didn't bet me on a race with that bastard _again_." Jak could see Daxter's glare out of the corner of his eye. "I would've kicked your ass if you had, Jak!"

"I was gonna say sorry for making you sound like you were my property." Jak said dryly. "I know you got pissed when people called you my pet, I figured making it sound like you were my property wasn't going to fly either."

"Yeah, well, Kleiver's a douche." Daxter looked at Jak, "And I know you don't think of _anyone_ in those terms. Hell, you even get pissed off when people talk about _lurkers_ like that, Jak."

Jak snorted. It was true, he had no love for the idea of slavery, or the idea of someone _owning_ another person (or lurker), but Dax was making it sound like he was on some righteous path to free everyone from bondage. And he _wasn't_ going to phrase it that way to her either, because there was no way in hell she'd let a golden opportunity like _that_ slip by uncommented on. "Still."

"I accept your meager apology for treating me like a piece of ass, Jak." Daxter said dryly next to his ear, and Jak rolled his eyes, setting her down on the elevator leading up to the throne room in the palace.

"How magnanimous of you Dax," he muttered as the elevator started up. "I am humbled before your gracious forgiveness."

"Damn right you are." She crossed her arms over her chest. "You still owe me, by the way."

"I'm not likely to forget, Dax." Jak looked around the throne room before making his way over to the dais. It always made him flinch, coming in here. He probably never would get over the shock of _not_ seeing Damas on the throne. "Hey Sig."

"Hey chili pepper, who's this? And why is she wearing your shirt?"

"Because Dax wasn't wearing one when s-he got turned into a human."

Sig eyed the redhead with a confused look. "I thought Daxter was a guy?"

" _I am a guy!_ " Daxter snapped. "Jak here did something!"

" _This isn't my fault!_ "

"Shut up, both of you!" Sig snapped, and Jak and Daxter both folded their arms with a huff. "Now, someone tell me what happened, _without blaming anyone._ "

"You know that hole in the wastelands the monks found? The one you sent us to check out?" Jak uncrossed his arms. "Well, there's a Precursor chamber through it. When Dax and I started looking around, the machines in there activated-"

"Because Jak was touching things he wasn't supposed to," Daxter interjected, and Jak shot her a sharp look.

"-and surrounded Daxter in this weird light. When I managed to get the machined turned off-"

"By _punching it._ "

Jak glared at her again. "-Daxter was a human woman."

"And it's Jak's fault."

Jak turned to her with a frustrated noise. "You were _screaming!_ What was I supposed to do, let it kill you?!"

"It wasn't killing me!" Daxter jabbed her finger at Jak's chest.

Jak grabbed her hand, and in the back of his mind Jak wondered if Daxter's hand had always been so small and fragile in his own, or if this was a side effect of Daxter's newfound womanly body. "Well I didn't _know that_ did I?!"

"If you two don't knock it off right now, I'm gonna tie you to a stake and leave you out in the desert!" Sig snarled at them, slamming his fist down on the arm of the throne and causing Daxter to squeak and dive behind Jak for protection. "Right then, other than Daxter's little mishap, was the place dangerous?"

"No. No metal heads were there." Jak said as Daxter peeked out from behind him.

"Right. I'll tell Seem she can send a team out to investigate. Maybe they can figure out what happened to Daxter. In the meantime, Jak, you got and get Daxter some new clothes and a weapon. You've got a week to train up before I toss your scrawny ass in the arena, Cherry."

Daxter's ears drooped as she stared at Sig. "What? But we did the arena challenge already!"

"No, _Jak_ did the arena challenge."

"But we're a team! Jak and Daxter! We do everything together!"

"Sig, you can't make Daxter fight in the arena alone," Jak crossed his arms over his chest. "He's earned his battle amulet a thousand times over by now!"

"And if I let some strange chick just waltz into Spargus without testing her, I'll have a damn revolt on my hands, you know that! I'm sorry, Cherry, but you gotta face the arena challenge and earn your own battle amulet."

Daxter stepped out from behind Jak, her hands spread beseechingly. "But Sig-!"

Sig arched an eyebrow down at her. "Are you telling me you can't do it?"

Daxter scowled at him. "No, I'm saying I shouldn't have to!"

"Well, you have to. Now go get outfitted with some serious equipment and get training, because this ain't up for discussion anymore. Am I understood?"

Jak was bristling, and he could feel the tension radiating off of Daxter. "...Yeah. We get it."

"Good. Now get out of here. Oh and Jak? Put a shirt on before you do anything else, you look like an idiot."

Jak sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. This was turning out to be a _fantastic_ day.


	2. Monetary and Delicious

Ignoring Sig's order to put on a shirt, their first stop on their way home was getting Daxter a pair of boots and a a couple of shirts to wear (Daxter had been strangely happy that the pants the Precursors gave her transformed when she did). "We're gonna hit Haven for everything else. If we need to get you a gun, I want something Tess made." The blonde's uncanny knack for weaponry made her the first person Jak turned to more often than not when it came to testing out a new gear, or adapting weird Precursor stuff into new mods for his Morph Gun.

"You want me to go into Haven looking like this?!"

"Dax, we need Tess and we need the gun course, we're going into Haven whether you like it or not."

Daxter stalked into the curtained off portion of the sundry shop, which sold everything from boots to ammo clips, to change into her newly purchased shirt. Jak's shirt hit him in the face from over the curtain rod. "If anyone laughs at me, you have to shoot them in the knees."

He sighed, pinching his nose again. "Dax, no one is going to laugh at you."

"Except Samos. And Torn. And Pecker. And everyone else that we know."

Jak started working on the straps on his eco ring, leaving it, his holster and his jetboard on the counter as he shook out his shirt. "Sig didn't laugh. Kleiver didn't laugh."

"Kleiver didn't know who I was and he hit on me! I get first shot at the bathroom when we get home, by the way, I still feel gross."

Jak paused, about to tug his shirt over his head. "I'm not laughing."

"Because-"

"If you say it's my fault one more time, Dax, I will tell Tess to paint your gun bright pink!" Jak jerked his shirt on the rest of the way and put on his eco ring holster again.

"I was _gonna_ say because you're _you_ , Jak." Daxter came out from behind the curtain and sat down to tug her boots on, the red vest she had picked out fitting her much better than Jak's shirt had.

He wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not as he looked her over.

Daxter's female body looked a lot like how Jak remembered his friend from his pre-ottsel days, thin and freckled, though there were a few major differences to go with those similarities. While Daxter's waist was still trim, it swelled into slender hips, that led down into familiar skinny legs. The other major difference was something that Jak had been trying to avoid staring at since Daxter transformed: her chest. Granted, it wasn't exactly _impressive_ when compared to Ashelin, Tess and even Keira, but there was something intriguing about the way Daxter's breasts swelled against the fabric of her vest, and Jak wondered how they'd feel against his palms. Jak shook himself. _Gah! Stop it! Stop it stop it stop it that's still Daxter!_ "Right. Because I'm such a great guy." _You are a bastard for thinking about Dax like that at a time like this!_

"You are! When you're not turning your best friend into an ottsel or a woman, anyway." Daxter finished tugging on her boots and looked up at Jak with an all too familiar grin. "Come on, hero boy, let's go home."

Jak rolled his eyes. "Yeah. Let's go, Dax."

Daxter elbowed him in the side. "You have nothing to be bummed out about, so what's with that face?"

"What face?"

Daxter poked his cheek. "I'm the one who lost my junk, dude, not you!"

Jak rolled his eyes and got Daxter in a head lock. "Alright, that's it."

"Ack! Hey, no fair!"

Jak scrubbed his knuckles against Daxter's scalp. "When we get back to Haven, I am telling Tess to make you a pink gun with a bow on it."

"You wouldn't dare-GAH!" Daxter flailed, trying to get out of the headlock as Jak knocked her goggles askew.

"And I'm going to tell her to make it so the bow cannot be removed. I'm also going to tell her that you have the burning desire to know the complex intricacies of applying makeup. Then I will inform her that you want to go shoe shopping-"

"AUGH! I GET IT I GET IT! HAVE MERCY, JAK!"

Jak lifted his fist from Daxter's hair and peered down at her. "So you're going to stop?"

"Yes, I'll stop!" Daxter looked up at him big, sad eyes. "You really wouldn't tell Tessy all that, would you?"

Jak arched an eyebrow. "You wanna try me?"

Daxter pouted and smoothed her hair back. "You should be nicer to me, Jak. I am _traumatized_ here."

"I'll just bet you are. Come on, Dax."

"You owe me a sandwich."

Jak stared at her. "What? No."

Daxter poked Jak in the chest. "You totally owe me a sandwich."

"I'm buying you a gun!" Jak crossed his arms, frowning down at Daxter. "Isn't that enough?!"

"Tess isn't going to charge you for that! I need monetary compensation for my pain!"

"A sandwich isn't monetary!"

"But it's delicious! I require monetary and delicious compensation."

"....I'm going home." Jak turned and stalked toward their apartment, leaving Daxter to follow behind him. Make her a sandwich, yeah right.

"Hey, Jak! Wait for me! What about my sandwich? Jak!"

–

Daxter was happily biting into her sandwich as Jak rubbed his temples. They had passed through the farmer's market on the way back to their apartment, and Daxter had turned on the pout full force, leaving Jak torn between the urge to kiss her and the option of doing what she wanted to avoid ruining the best thing in his life. In the end, he ended up buying a fresh loaf of bread, a yakow steak (a real one, even, as opposed to the vat grown ones that Haven was more known for), and vegetables that he made Daxter carry. Daxter's friendship was far more important than some weird urge Jak could easily take care of with his hand.

"You make the best sandwiches, have I told you that?"

"Six times, Dax. Just eat the damn thing." Jak grumbled. "And you get to wash the dishes!"

"Mmmfhmmfmmmm," Daxter replied, which Jak took to mean 'Yeah sure whatever man this is good'.

Jak sighed and bit into his own sandwich. "I hope you know you are spoiled rotten, and I'm not doing anything else for you to help you with your 'trauma' or whatever. Got it?"

"You have totally earned your forgiveness, Jak." Daxter took another bite of her sandwich happily. "Besides, I was never really _mad_ at you, anyway. I mean, you didn't mean to turn me into a woman, just like you didn't mean to turn me into an ottsel. And both times you were trying to protect me, so I really can't be mad at you."

Jak narrowed his eyes at Daxter, sandwich paused half way to his mouth. "...you just wanted to see how much stuff you could guilt me into doing for you."

"Well, _yeah._ " Daxter grinned at him and took another large bite of her sandwich.

Jak sighed heavily. "Just eat your sandwich, okay Dax?"

"With _pleasure._ "

"Don't talk with your mouth full, Dax." Daxter stuck out her tongue at Jak, revealing a wad of chewed up sandwich and Jak rolled his eyes. "Classy. Really." Daxter grinned at him again and Jak sighed. _Yup. Still the same old Daxter, no matter what form he takes._

Funny how the thought didn't make being attracted to Daxter any easier.

\--

There was, however, one tiny little problem that night: their apartment only had one bed. One kind of small bed.

"Jak, what the hell are you doing?" Daxter frowned at him, her hip cocked.

"You can take the bed, I'll sleep on the floor."

Daxter blinked at him. "The bed's big enough to share, you know."

Jak shook his head, and continued to drag down their only set of spare bedding from the closet. "Not really, Dax."

"Jak, seriously, it's the same size as my bed back in Sandover, and we shared that before!"

"When you were a guy, Dax." Never mind that they had _both_ been smaller back then, and Jak had always woken up with Daxter sprawled across his chest and a face full of red-gold hair. Not that he had _minded_ back then, just like he wouldn't mind _now_. It was the not-minding that was gonna get him in trouble.

Daxter scowled at him. "And why would me being a chick be any different, Jak?"

"Because it's not-"

"Are you seriously about to tell me that it's not 'proper' or 'right' or whatever? Seriously Jak? That is the biggest load of yakow shit I've ever heard in my life! Put that stuff back and get on the damn bed!"

"Daxter," Jak stared at his friend, blinking. "Are you sure?"

"Listen Jak," Daxter said quietly, leaning in close. "You and I both know you don't sleep well when I'm not there. I seriously doubt our neighbors will appreciate being woken up by your screaming, never mind me, or _you_ for that matter."

Jak looked away, clutching the bedding tighter. "Yeah, but that's with you as an ottsel, Dax. I don't know-"

"So we'll figure it out," Daxter put her hands on her hips. "Now put that stuff back! You're not sleeping on the floor and that's final, you hear me, Hero?"

Jak shook his head, but he put away the spare bedding. "Yes ma'am."

"Good. Now get on the bed and don't bitch!" Daxter pointed to the bed. "And I suppose you can get into something to sleep in."

Jak rolled his eyes and started taking off his eco ring harness. "How kind of you." Daxter shrugged and snagged one of Jak's other shirts before dropping her pants. "Whoa, Dax! Change in the bathroom!"

"What? Oh come off it, Jak, stop being such a damn prude! It's just a little skin! You see more when you look at Ashelin!"

Jak turned his back. "Jeez, Dax, have a little modesty!"

"It's _just you._ Why should I care about you seeing me half naked?"

Jak took a deep breath. This was going to be _hell_ , he just knew it.

When he turned around after changing into his own sleeping clothes, Daxter was turning down the blankets, his blue shirt sliding down off her shoulder, revealing freckled skin and the sweeping wing of her collar bone. Jak forced himself to drag his eyes away from the exposed skin and sighed. He had _always_ been attracted to Daxter back in Sandover, the desire to pin his friend to warm sand and cover his skin in kisses and nips grew stronger and stronger until Jak couldn't take it anymore and was about to confess to his best friend until a stupid idea, the desire to show off and more than a little bad luck turned Daxter into an ottsel and rendered the whole idea moot. He was still attracted to his friend as an ottsel, but the idea of trying anything while Daxter was furry – never mind that it was entirely Jak's fault Daxter _was_ furry in the first place – just made Jak feel like a giant pervert and kind of like an asshole.

But now Daxter was human again – human and _female_ – and his sex drive had taken it as a sign to kick into overdrive and torture Jak with mental images of pinning Daxter to the bed and burying himself inside her and making her scream his name. She probably would, too; Dax was so loud everywhere else, and she looked like a screamer. _Oh God STOP IT STOP IT STOP IT!_ Jak sank down on the edge of the bed and rubbed at his temples, willing the mental images to go away before they got him in trouble.

Which was when Daxter's arms wrapped around him from behind and dragged him down to the bed. "GAH! _Dax!_ " Jak stared down at his friend as Daxter shoved him into position before settling against him, and a distant part of Jak's mind noted just how _soft_ Daxter was like this, and how they still fit perfectly together, the way they had when they were kids, and the way they had when Daxter was an ottsel. It was like no matter what the form was, Daxter was perfectly Jak-shaped. Or Jak was Daxter-shaped, and he should probably stop thinking about it before he got himself into trouble.

"I want to sleep, you are being uncooperative. I figured I'd lend you a hand, since you are obviously having trouble with the concept of _sleeping_." She poked him between the eyes. "First, you lie down. Then you get into a comfy position, then you close your eyes, and then you sleep. It's really very simple process."

"...right." Jak closed his eyes and tried not to think of how warm Daxter was against his side, or how her breasts squished against his chest, or how the fact that she smelled like his soap made something inside him purr with satisfaction.

This was hell alright. The special level of hell reserved for assholes who were in love with their best friends but had a bad habit of turning them into ottsels, or women.

"Are your eyes closed?" Daxter asked, face tucked against Jak's throat.

"Yes Dax."

"Good. Goodnight, Jak."

Jak let his hand settle awkwardly at the small of Daxter's back and he sighed. "Goodnight, Dax." _Asshole asshole asshole_ , his mind hissed at him and Jak sighed again.

This was going to _suck_.

–

When Jak woke, he was curled around something warm and soft. He cracked his eye open, just enough to get a eyeful of red hair before he let it drift shut again. _That's right, Daxter's human again..._ He yawned and tucked his nose behind Daxter's ear, pressing closer to Daxter's back with a sleepy, pleased noise. This was the way it was supposed to be, Daxter soft and warm in Jak's bed, Jak pressed against Daxter's back, Jak hard with his hand under Daxter's shirt, cradling her breast- wait.

What?

Jak's eyes snapped open as he hissed in a sharp breath. Oh. _Oh shit._ This was bad. This was so so bad. The boner could easily be explained away – Dax was still a guy mentally, he knew all about morning wood - but the groping? Jak held his breath and slowly, carefully, removed his hand from under Daxter's borrowed shirt. Daxter might normally sleep like a rock, but he had a bad habit of waking up at the worst moments. Or at least the most embarrassing ones. His hand was by Daxter's stomach when she shifted closer to Jak sleepily, pressing her pert bottom against his crotch and making him hiss again. " _Fuck-!_ " Jak hissed, his eyes squeezing shut as his jaw clenched. That felt way too good, and all he wanted to do was grab Daxter's hips and grind against her until he came. When was the last time he had a warm, non-ottsel body in his bed? Oh, that's right, not since Daxter was turned _into_ said ottsel. Funny how it had never bothered him before now.

"Nnn..." Daxter hummed sleepily and rolled over, throwing an arm and a leg over Jak and wrapping around him as she tucked her face into Jak's throat.

Jak let out a strangled whimper. This? Was not fair. In the slightest. "Dax..."

"Mmmm?"

"You need to let me go."

"Mmmm." Daxter snuggled closer to Jak.

"I have to use the bathroom, Dax," Jak lied, grateful his friend was not awake enough to see through it. Daxter always told him he was a bad liar. Something about having honest eyes.

Daxter let out a sleepy grumble, but rolled away from Jak just enough to let him slide out of the bed before Daxter rolled into the warm spot Jak left behind. Jak watched his friend with a fond look for a few moments before he dashed into the bathroom. Time for a shower. A nice, _cold_ , shower.

–

Daxter was still asleep when Jak got out of the shower and he shook his head as he got dressed. His morning _problem_ taken care of, Jak was feeling slightly better as he stepped out. Might as well let Daxter sleep in while he stepped out to get them something to eat for breakfast.

"G'mornin' Jak!" A rough voice called him to him, and Jak started, nearly reaching for his Morph Gun before relaxing in the face of his neighbor.

"Morning."

"Where's yer new lady friend?"

Jak blinked. _Oh. He means Daxter._ "She's still sleeping."

"Wore her out last night, eh? She's certainly a bossy thing."

Jak stared at his neighbor, his face going red as the man laughed. "I-uh-"

"She's the perfect Spargan woman, Jak! No wilting flowers out here in the desert, and it's about time ye settled down with a strong girl."

Oh God. Jak could feel his face getting hotter and hotter. It was _too early_ for this. "Errr...."

"Though what happened to yer little orange friend?"

"Um... Well, remember when we said Dax used to be human?"

His neighbor's eyebrows shot up. "So Daxter's yer cute little redhead?"

Jak's face was going to _burst into flame._ "Yeah."

"Well, she'll fit right in. When's her first test?"

"In a week." Jak looked out over the city, already bustling with activity from the early risers.

"She'll be fine, lad," his neighbor said, clapping him on the shoulder. "I'll let ye get on yer way then, and enjoy yer honeymoon with yer cute bossy redhead." The man walked away, laughing, and Jak groaned.

Oh yes, this day was starting out _beautifully._


	3. Gold Gun Girls

_Sheesh, I must have a permanent blush on my face by now,_ Jak thought as he entered the little apartment he shared with Daxter. It felt like every time he took a step he was stopped and asked about his new redheaded 'fiancée'. Jak wasn't sure how between the time he left their apartment for breakfast and the time he returned to the apartment with said breakfast that Daxter had gone from 'lady friend' to 'fiancée', but he wasn't about to ask and invite more rumors. “Dax? Come on, up and at 'em, I've got breakfast!” He called toward the room in the back where the bed was. When he got no answer, not even a sleepy grumble or muffled curse, Jak set the cloth bag of fruit down and ventured into the back. Daxter wasn't on the bed, though Jak's ears picked up faint sounds from the bathroom. “Dax?”

“Nnnnnn _oh_.... Um....yeah?” There were wet, slick noises coming from the other side of the door, and Jak could hear Daxter's soft panting and faint moans.

 _What the hell is going on in there?_ “You okay? I've got breakfast.”

“ _Ah_ \- I'm- I'm fine Jak... _ooohhhh_ I'll be out in a minute....”

Jak's ears shot straight up, then lowered to the sides in mortal embarrassment as realization of what, exactly, Daxter was doing dawned on him. _Oh God.... leave it to Daxter to 'discover' his female body like_ that _!_ But Jak didn't walk away. Instead, he leaned against the wall next to the door, listening. _You are such a pervert, Jak. What the hell are you even doing?! Walk away, go into the kitchen, do_ something _other than_ stand _here listening to Daxter get off!_ His body didn't seem to be listening to that small, rational part of his mind though, and he slowly started rubbing himself through his pants. Daxter's soft, breathy moans urged him on as he opened his pants and slid his hand inside with a tiny whimper of his own. It had only been an hour ago since he last did this, but his body didn't care. He blindly kicked up the towel he had used earlier that morning before shoving his pants down around his thighs. _Fuck...Daxter...._

Jak bit his lip, his head resting back against the wall as his hips jerked into the towel. What did Daxter look like when she did this? Was she partly dressed, or completely naked? Jak closed his eyes, his hand moving faster as he pictured what Daxter looked like right now; Jak's shirt sliding off her shoulder as one hand fondled her breast, the other moving quickly between her legs, her palm covering a patch of golden curls. Her head would be against the wall, her mouth open slightly and her face flushed prettily as she panted and moaned, her hips rocking slightly into her hand as her toes curled into the ugly rug they had gotten for their bathroom. What would it be like to replace those hands with his own? To cradle that warm flesh in his hand again as he toyed with her nipple; to feel those hot, wet walls clench around his fingers as his thumb rubbed against her clit before he replaced that hand with his mouth and tasted her. Would Daxter taste sweet? Or salty like his own come? Jak's hand curled against the wall as he pumped himself with the soft towel, his imagination running away with him. Daxter would bury her hands in his hair as he tasted her, her legs trembling under his hands as she moaned his name. _God_ he would give anything to hear her moan his name in that soft voice, to make her moan and writhe and cry out under him as his mouth and hands got her off, to be buried inside her with her legs around his waist and making her scream his name as she came again- Jak came hard into the towel, stars bursting behind his eyelids. _Holy..._ He let his eyes flutter open, Daxter's moans in the bathroom loud in his ears as he looked down at the mess he made in the towel, ice cold horror at what he had just done growing in his chest. How could he do that to Daxter without her knowledge like that?! How could he be that self-centered of an asshole to do that to his best friend?! He dropped the towel like it burned him and kicked it viciously under the bed as he tucked himself back into his pants and fixed his clothes.

Jak banged on the door to the bathroom, snarling. “Damn it, Daxter, hurry up in there! We've got places to go!”

“Five more minutes, you damn dirty fascist!” Daxter snapped back at him, and Jak stomped back toward the kitchen to wash his hands in the hottest water he could manage from the taps. He felt sick, but there was also a strange thrill running through his body at doing something like that without getting caught.

 _You are a bastard, Jak! Absolutely the worst!_ He paused in scrubbing at his hands as a stray thought hit him: _What would Daxter do if I walk in on her next time?_ He looked off at nothing as the idea that Daxter would _let_ him do all those things to her took root before he shook his head violently and started scrubbing at the dishes instead. _Idiot idiot idiot!_

By the time Daxter came out of the bedroom fully dressed and a spring in her step, Jak had started washing all the dishes in their apartment, and the few pots and pans they had as well. “Good morning, Jak!” Daxter chirped, reaching into the grocery bag and pulling out an apple to eat. “Did you sleep okay?”

“Yeah.”

“I told you I was gonna take care of those, you know... it looks like you've washed every dish in the apartment!”

“I did. I had some time on my hands since _someone_ was taking forever in the bathroom.” Jak flicked soap suds at Daxter, who laughed and darted away.

“Hey, I was taking care of something! It was very important!”

“I'm sure.” Jak glanced at her. “How did you sleep?”

“Like a baby. I had _really_ good dreams!” Daxter shot him a smirk before biting into the apple, and a small amount of juice slid down her chin. Jak wondered if she'd let him lick it off her before he forcibly dragged his eyes away from Daxter and returned his attention to the pot he was scrubbing.

 _Stop it! Daxter doesn't think about you like that at all!_

But he really wished she did.

\---

It was nearly mid afternoon by the time they got to Haven City, and Daxter remained blissfully unaware that the majority of Spargus was now convinced that she was Jak's new bossy redheaded “fiancée”, not to mention that Jak jerked off to her masturbation session that morning (which he still felt like scum about).

Daxter glanced over her shoulder at Jak as they walked over to the Naughty Ottsel. “You okay? You've been quieter than usual.”

“Hm? I'm fine, Dax. Just thinking of what gun you should get.” _I am not thinking about how I woke up with my hand on your boob, or about how I jerked off to the sounds of you getting yourself, or about how much I'd like to be with you, or about how much I want to fuck you. Nope. Maybe I should see if I can find a one night stand here.... Because of course fucking another person while thinking of Daxter isn't_ also _a completely asshole move on my part. Argh!_

“I'm sure she'll hook me up with something awesome. But...” Daxter slowed, eying the Naughty Ottsel (and its repaired sign) with some trepidation.

“Daxter?” Jak turned to look at his friend, concerned.

“She's still an ottsel, Jak.” Daxter said quietly, rubbing at one pale, freckled arm. “How can I walk in there looking like this when she's still an ottsel and we don't know if that machine can turn her back, if she even _wants_ to be turned back.... What if she hates me? What if she thinks I'm abandoning her, or something? I couldn't handle it if she hated me, Jak...”  
“Dax, I seriously doubt Tess could ever hate her widdle fwuffy muffin,” Jak rolled his eyes. Daxter and Tess' flirting always made him a little jealous, though he couldn't help but have been pleased when it hadn't gone beyond flirting, even once Tess was an ottsel as well. “Even if you're not so little and fluffy anymore.”

“But-!” Daxter turned to him, blue eyes wide.

Jak placed his hands on Daxter's shoulders. “Dax. If she hates you because of an accident, she was never worth it in the first place.”

Daxter stared at him for a long moment before she wrapped her arms around Jak, resting her cheek on his unarmored shoulder. Jak went rigid, hands frozen in the air, unsure if he should push Daxter away before something stupid (on Jak's part) happened or if he should hug back. “.....you're supposed to hug me back, Jak. I'm emotionally distraught here!” Daxter said after a long moment of Jak's indecision, her ear flicking in annoyance.

“Err, right. Sorry Dax.” Well, that answered _that_. Jak wrapped his arms around Daxter, resting his cheek in her hair and knocking her goggles askew. “Seriously, Dax. Things will be fine.”

“...Thanks Jak.” Daxter pulled away and grinned up at him. “Let's go see Tess. If I'm lucky, maybe I can still get kisses!” Daxter fixed her goggles and started back toward the bar, leaving Jak to stare after her with a shake of his head and a sigh.

Daxter strolled into the Naughty Ottsel and pulled up short. “Tess! You're human again!”

The buxom blonde was indeed back to her regular human self and turned to the door with a smile. “I know! Isn't it weird? I was doing prep work for opening yesterday and suddenly I was human again!” She blinked, frowning. “...Have we met before?”

Daxter shifted, looking down at her feet. “Um...”

Jak stepped around her. “It's a long story Tess.”

“Jak! ...Where's Daxxie?"

Daxter gave her a tiny wave. “There was...sort of an accident.”

Tess stared. “...You got turned into a human woman?”

“It's Jak's fault!” Daxter said quickly, blue eyes filling with tears.

Jak knew this trick. Dax hadn't pulled it since they were six, but Jak knew this trick _very_ well. “Oh for the- _Damn it Dax! Knock that off!_ It didn't work when we were six and it's not going to work-”

“Oh _Daxxie,_ ” Tess cooed, coming around from behind the bar. “My poor widdle snuggle bunny!”

“-now. Oh _brother._ ” Jak rolled his eyes as Tess gathered the redhead into a hug, burying Daxter's face in her ample charms.

“What happened, sweetie?” Tess asked, stroking Daxter's hair comfortingly.

“There was some weird Precursor tech and Jak - he started _touching_ things and-and there was this _light_ and it _hurt_ and the next thing I knew I was a chick and topless and Jak had to give me his shirt and then when we got back to Spargus Kleiver hit on me and was icky and then Sig said I have to take the arena challenge!”

“My poor Daxxie,” Tess cooed, stroking her hair. “That must've been _awful._ ”

Daxter buried her face in Tess' chest again and Jak rolled his eyes, feeling irrational anger and jealousy welling up inside him. “We wanted to see if you could make Daxter a gun to use in the arena.”

“Oh of _course_ I can! Don't you worry Daxxie, I'll make you the best boomstick ever!” Tess pulled away, beaming down at Daxter brightly. “You'll wipe the floor with those bastards in the arena!”

“I knew I could count on you, Tessykins!” Daxter said, just as brightly, and Jak wanted to groan. Really, Daxter was so shameless...

“Right. Let's get started then, huh?” Jak ushered the two women back toward the bar. _Hopefully they'll keep the flirting to a minimum._

\---

“So, tell me again why I can't just use Jak's gun?” Daxter pouted as she, Tess and Jak went over different gun schematics.

“Because, Daxxie, Jak's boomstick would knock you off your feet without something to brace against.”

“And don't even think about saying anything perverted Daxter,” Jak warned as Daxter opened her mouth with a smirk. “Stop it right now and put your mind where it belongs.”

Tess rolled her eyes and smiled as Daxter pouted. “Even Jak gets knocked off kilter with some of his mods. Besides,” Tess chirped, “you won't always be able to use Jak's gun! What about when you're on missions together?”

Jak froze. He hadn't even _thought_ about that. Daxter had always gone with him on missions, but that was riding on Jak's shoulder. Daxter had never been a separate target before, and it made Jak sick to think about all the things that could happen to her out there. It was a cold comfort for Jak to realize that he would've thought the same even if Dax was back to being a human _guy._

“I hadn't thought that far ahead,” Daxter murmured, leaning on her elbows on the counter. “I guess I would need my own gun then, huh?”

“See? It makes sense to just make you one now so that you can train with it and be really good with it by the time you face the arena! And then you'll be ready to go with Jak on missions!”

It was a good thing Jak was already sitting down, he felt like his legs would give out from under him if he stood. “Let's just deal with one thing at a time, alright? We need to find a style of gun Dax likes first, then customize it so it doesn't knock him over. I was thinking maybe something long range, since Dax isn't so great with hand to hand-”

“Hey! I can deal with it just fine! You are just a big worrier, Jak!”

“Oh, so you want to get some hand to hand practice in?”

Daxter leaned back, bringing her hands up in front of her. “Not against you! Maybe a wussy like Torn or something.”

Tess bit her lip. “Daxxie, I hate to break it to you, but Torn _was_ a commander in the Krimzon Guard, and he's the head of the Freedom League. He didn't get there because he looks pretty, he's actually a pretty decent fighter and a good tactician. He's not gonna be easier to fight than Jak.”

“Really? 'Cause he seems pretty useless to me,” Daxter muttered slumping.

“Tell you what, Daxxie. I'll get you a Morph Gun like Jak's, and it'll have some long range and short range mods, and I can go over some basic hand to hand with you! I might not look it, but I _have_ taken self-defense classes, and I'm pretty good! Jak can help out too!”

“How kind of you to include me,” Jak said dryly, but he smirked at the two women all the same.

“Now that we've got our plan of action, let's get to work!”

\---

Jak and Tess had been doing gun drills with Daxter in the gun course for a few hours when Jak's comm went off.

“Keep at it, Dax, you're doing great!” Jak called before walking away to answer it. “Yeah?”

“Jak, it's Torn. Tess told me you were in town.”

At the sound of Torn's gravelly voice, Jak's ears twitched back. Great, just what he needed. “Yeah. Dax had a bit of an accident and needs a gun.”

“What? Never mind, tell me later. Right now I have a big problem, and thank God you're already here because I don't know if it can wait any longer.”

Jak frowned. Torn looked like he hadn't slept in a week and he was babbling. Torn never babbled. “Torn, what's wrong? What happened? Is everyone alright?”

“Maintenance just found a huge clutch of metal head eggs down by the Pumping Station. We're talking _hundreds_ of eggs here, Jak. Eco knows how they managed to miss it for so long, but the eggs look ready to hatch any day now. I need you to take them out, Jak, I don't have the man power to send a team out there to take care of it. And to top it all off, there's been metal head sightings out there, too.”

Jak let out a low curse. When shit hit the fan, it _really_ hit the fan. “How the hell did they miss a clutch of eggs like that for so long?!”

“I don't know, but when I find out, there's gonna be hell to pay for it!” Torn snarled. “I need you out there pronto Jak.”

“Right. I'm on it.” Jak ended the call and turned around, though he pulled up short when he spotted Daxter, who was looking at him with an oddly solemn expression. “...Dax...”

“He wants you to go on a mission.” It wasn't a question.

“Dax, I have to go.”

Daxter's ears drooped. “But you're going _without me._ I can't go with you on this one, I'm not ready...”

Jak wanted to kick himself, but it wasn't like he was any happier about going out alone than Daxter was. “I know Dax. Look, I don't know how long this is gonna take...”

“Don't you worry about a thing, Jak!” Tess said, slinging an arm around Daxter's shoulders. “Daxxie and I will finish up here, then I'll call Keira and we can have a girls' night slumber party!”

Jak frowned at Tess for a long moment. “Uh, Tess?”

Daxter's ears perked right up. “That sounds like a _great_ idea, Tess! Run along now, Jak, and don't worry about me, I'll be _just fine._ ” Daxter chuckled as she turned around and picked up the next gun, and Tess shot Jak a wink.

Somehow, that didn't comfort him in the slightest.


	4. Pornographic Lies

_Lesbian porn has lied to me,_ Daxter thought bitterly as he sat, watching Tess paint Keira's toenails with glittery blue nail polish. _I feel cheated. Tess is smoking hot and Keira's a total babe if you don't think about it too hard – law of pornography says that they should be making out! Not talking about cars and guns and whatever. It's like being in the garage at Spargus, only less Kleiver and more sexy. Just not_ porn _sexy._ Daxter rested his chin on his knees and looked down at his own toes, which Tess had painted a bright, glittery purple. It was one thing Daxter had learned about his blonde bombshell – she _loved_ her some glittery nail polish.

“What's the matter Daxxie?” Tess looking up from Keira's toes. “You've been really quiet!”

“I feel cheated,” Daxter said sulkily. Not even Tess's skimpy pink tank top and short shorts could make him feel better. While all that skin _was_ nice to look at, the distinct lack of lesbian make outs almost made Daxter not want to ogle. Almost, anyway.

Keira tilted her head. “What about? If it's about your tits again, I'm throwing something at you.” She reached threateningly for Tess's fluffy pink slipper, left abandoned when Keira had painted Tess's toenails a glittery (of course) pink.

Daxter held up his hands. “While I'm still pissed off about not getting a decent sized rack, that's not my issue here. Lesbian porn lied to me!”

Keira blinked at him and lowered the slipper. “What?”

“Where's the naked giggly pillow fights that lead to hot make outs? The giggling about boys and what so and so is like in bed?!”

Tess glanced at Keira, amused. “Sorry, Daxxie... but this is pretty much what Keira and I do on our sleepovers. We give each other pedicures, watch movies, and talk about guns and cars.” Tess smiled at Daxter apologetically.

“And, to be fair, Daxter, you were watching _porn._ It's not exactly realistic, you know?”

“You wouldn't understand.” Daxter sighed heavily and got to his feet. “I need to take a piss.”

“Just remember you can't do that standing up anymore!” Keira called after him, and Daxter flipped her off before closing the door on her giggles.

Daxter grumbled as he shoved down his shorts and plunked down on the toilet. Stupid girl body. Stupid Keira and Tess for not being hot lesbians. Stupid Jak for going off to do a mission for Tattooed Wonder without Daxter. Stupid self for missing Jak as badly as he did. It was weird, being without Jak. It always felt like Daxter was missing a piece of himself when Jak wasn't around. Those two years when Jak was imprisoned were like _hell_ , but four years spent on a guy's shoulder, spending every waking (and sleeping) moment with him, sharing his food and drink – it only made sense that Daxter was kind of attached right? It was natural for him to miss Jak when Jak was off by himself getting into Precursors only knew what kind of trouble without Daxter there to remind him to heal himself, or to make him laugh when it starts to look bad and metal heads are coming out of the floors and down the walls. Stupid Jak, going off on his own because his idiot hero gene. He probably got it from Damas.

Daxter glared down at the books Tess had in a little basket and blinked. Why did she have pictures of Jak in there? Daxter blinked again and reached down. Those weren't pictures of Jak, they were book covers! Daxter picked up a book for a better look at the cover. It was a picture of a man and a woman, the woman incredibly stacked and with the top of her dress just shy of falling off as she swooned in the muscular arms of the man. One or two details were different (like the complete lack of Jak's scars, the missing goatee and the same long hair he had when Daxter first broke him out of prison) but it was most definitely supposed to be Jak. Daxter glanced at the title, running his fingers over the embossed gold lettering. “' _The Pirate's Captive_ '? It's a _romance novel?_ ” Daxter dug through the other books. Jak in a billowy shirt and tight pants, Jak in sinfully low unbuttoned jeans, Jak in his racing gear, Jak in a loin cloth and his eco ring harness.... and to go along with the pictures were bizarre titles like 'The Prince's Bride', 'Dark Affair', 'Shifting Gears' and 'Wastelander's Lady'. Daxter bit his lip, muffling his giggles. Oh this was _rich!_ People were writing romance novels about _Jak!_ Or, at least, Jak was being used for the covers, anyway.

The real question, though, was why did Tess have them? And so _many?_ They couldn't actually be _good,_ so... _Maybe Tessykins has a weakness for bad romance novels?_ Daxter thought to himself as he finished his business and washed his hands, _But every single one of them has a Jak-wannabe on the cover!_ Daxter frowned in thought, absently taking in the two toothbrushes in the holder on the sink, and the two different color towels reflected in the mirror. There were also two bathrobes hanging behind the door, too, one a fluffy pale pink to match Tess's slippers, and the other a plain, dark green that Daxter recognized as being Keira's. _I wonder why Keira's got so much stuff here? Another question for the pile, I guess._ Daxter gathered up a bunch of the books and padded back out into Tess's bedroom. “Hey Keira?”

“Hm?” She glanced up at him. “What's up Daxter?”

“Why do you have so much stuff here?”

Keira blinked at him. “Um....”

Tess giggled. “Keira sleeps over a lot, Daxxie. It just was easier for her to end up leaving stuff here to use instead of packing a bag every time.”

Daxter frowned. “But why would you sleep over so much?”

“Because we're friends, maybe? Why did you sleep over Jak's so much growing up?”

“Because my house was drafty and leaky and Jak's bed was warmer.” Daxter said bluntly.

Tess and Keira blinked at him, Keira looking a little stunned. “Oh. I-Daxter...”

“SO!” Daxter's sudden outburst startled Tess and Keira out of their gaping. “Who wants to explain what these are?” He asked cheerfully, dropping the books next to Tess and Keira.

Tess blinked. “Oh, those. They're romance novels, Daxxie! You knew I like to read them.”

“Yes, I can tell they're romance novels from the titles – they look _awful_ , by the way – but I am talking more about the obvious rip-offs of Jak on every cover!”

Tess giggled. “Oh that. Keira and I found them and thought they were hilarious, so we collect them and swap.”

Daxter turned to Keira stunned. “You _read_ this shit, Keira? _You?_ ”

Keira looked completely panicked. “You can't tell Jak, Daxter! You absolutely _can't!_ ”

“What, that you actually like things that can be considered 'girly'? Jak wouldn't care-”

Keira took up Tess's slipper again. “If you tell Jak I read romance novels with him on the cover I'll brain you, Daxter! I mean it! Don't make me get my tool belt!”

Daxter squeaked and ducked behind Tess, wrapping his arms around her from behind and poking his head out over Tess' shoulder. “Okay okay, I won't tell Jak! Geez, you're scary....”

Keira huffed. “Whatever...”

Tess giggled. “Don't worry Keira, Daxxie promised not to tell! And you'd be surprised about some of those books, Daxxie. A lot of them are really good!”

“Oh yes, because something called _The Prince's Bride_ is bound to be chock full of literary brilliance,” Daxter eased out from behind Tess and picked up one of the books.

“Like you even read anything that doesn't have pictures of naked women, Daxter,” Keira scoffed, rolling her eyes. “If you can even call _that_ reading.”

“Hey...” Daxter pouted at Keira. “Don't knock my porn mags!”

“Then don't knock the romance novels!”

“Daxxie, why don't you read one? Here, I'll pick out a bunch of good ones that you can borrow! Then you can let me know what you think!”

Daxter frowned at Tess. “What, are you and Keira gonna read my porn mags in trade?”

“No, thanks. Who thinks fake tits are attractive?” Keira wrinkled her nose.

“You are a big kill joy, you know that?” Daxter sighed and held his hand out for the books. “Come on, then, give me some good ones and I'll read them. But only for you, Tessykins!”

Tess leaned over and kissed Daxter's cheek. “You're the sweetest, Daxxie.”

Daxter preened under the attention, ignoring Keira's huff and eye roll.

Maybe it wouldn't be so bad after all, even without lesbian porn. Or Jak.

–

It was beyond being late when Jak managed to drag himself back to Freedom League HQ from the Pumping Station, bone tired and covered in metal head gore. _Daxter's probably asleep by now....does she miss me at all? Probably not._ Jak rested his head on the cool tile of the shower in his room at the HQ (which also doubled at the Palace. Or was it the Palace that doubled as the Freedom League Headquarters? Jak was too tired to remember) with a soft sigh. It had been harder out there without Daxter than he anticipated. His left shoulder had felt horribly light, the gun fire too loud without the sound of his friend's squeaky voice in his ear when things got a little too hairy for Daxter's liking. He wouldn't have called the feeling _lonely_ really - lonely was when he was in that damn prison for two years – but he felt _hollow._ Empty. He would even go so far as to say he felt incomplete and imbalanced, and it freaked him out a little. Was he really not even a person without Daxter? He had always felt like Daxter had saved him from going insane when he was in the Fortress and all he had was that scrap of memory-

 _“Don't worry Jak! I'll save you before you know it!”_

-and he relied on Daxter to keep from going Dark that whole year after the fight with Metal Kor and rebuilding the city, before getting exiled... Hell, even after they found out he was going to be exiled, Daxter kept Jak from going completely Dark and ripping out Veger's greasy throat (which was still a mistake in Jak's honest opinion; everyone would be better off if Veger was dead).

Jak shook himself and started scrubbing viciously at his skin with the washcloth. _Stop it. You are not half a person without Daxter! It makes sense to miss her, you haven't been separated for any length of time since you were in the Baron's prison! Maybe it's a_ good _thing you two are spending the night apart!_

Except if it was supposed to be a good thing, why did it make him feel so empty?

–

When Jak returned to The Naughty Ottsel and saw Daxter sitting at the bar apparently reading something, his knees almost went weak with relief. And when Daxter turned and smiled at him? It was like the damn sun came out from behind the clouds and birds everywhere were singing sweetly and, Jak didn't know, something ridiculous that symbolized a good thing happened, or whatever. He wanted to gather Daxter to him and never let go. It kind of felt the same way as when he first saw Daxter ( _really_ saw him and didn't just pass the voice off as a hallucination, and the body something that was going to hurt him), but it also felt different too. In spite of the fact that Jak had been able to talk for the past three years, he still wasn't all that great with words, or describing how he felt. Or even talking to other people in general, really. The only person he felt like he could talk to was Daxter, and Daxter had always understood what Jak meant, even when he didn't – or couldn't – say it.

“Jak!” Daxter beamed at him, getting up from her barstool to bounce over to him. And oh did she bounce – Jak could feel his eyes following the movement.

 _Stop that! Stop it stop it stop it you stupid horny asshole!_ He wanted to _kick_ himself. It didn't help that Jak had woken up to sticky sheets and a surprisingly clear memory of his dream the night before. A dream that had involved all three of Daxter's forms, all hot sweat-gleaming skin and soft fur, with Jak in the middle and muffling his cries of pleasure between girl-Daxter's thighs as he ground down against ottsel-Daxter's soft, furry belly and boy-Daxter fucked him from behind. That had actually surprised Jak a little, he had never imagined Daxter topping him before, but now that he had, he couldn't get the mental image out of his head. “H-hey Dax.” _Oh, real smooth asshole._ “Have fun?”

“ _Loads_.” Daxter grinned up at him mischievously. “You are not going to _believe_ what I discovered.”

For a brief second, Jak panicked. _Oh shit. She knows. She knows and is going to hate me for the rest of our lives and never speak to me again-_ “What did you find?”

Daxter grinned, and trotted back to the bar to pick up her book. “You are going to _love_ this.”

“Somehow I don't like the sound of that Dax,” Jak crossed his arms and eyed his friend with a healthy amount of suspicion.

When Daxter turned back around she was holding the book in front of her, grinning wickedly. “Tada!”

Jak stared. “What the hell is that?”

Daxter grinned wider. “It's a book, Jak. People read them as a form of recreation.”

“I realize that, Daxter.” Jak couldn't stop staring at the thing, the cover glossy and the gold lettering stood out like a beacon across the top. 'The Wastelander's Lady'. What the hell kind of title was that? “Why am I mostly naked on the cover of said book with a woman who is partially naked?”

“There are some where it's just you mostly naked on the covers, if it makes you feel better.”

“No, Dax. No it doesn't.” Jak frowned at the book. “How the hell did you even find this?”

“Tess has a whole collection of them. She thinks its hysterical. I do too, for that matter.”

“And you're actually reading this?”

Daxter shrugged. “Tess said it was pretty good. She actually gave me a whole bunch of them to read!” Daxter grinned. “I just got to the really good part!”

Jak's ears drooped to match the growing horror in the pit of his belly. Oh merciful Precursors this couldn't be good at all. “The really good part?”

“Allow me to enlighten you. Ahem.” Daxter opened the book and flashed a grin at Jak before she began to read. “ 'Oh Drusus,' Neetza exhaled, trembling in the wastelander's tanned, muscular arms as he laid her back against the soft pallet in their tent. 'We cannot do this- it wouldn't be right! I am engaged to another!'

'You think I give a damn about propriety?!' Drusus growled, his hand sliding up under her skirt to rip through the delicate undergarments that hid her femininity from him. 'I must have you, my sweet Neetza, and damn your fiancé!'

'Oh Drusus!' She cried as his long, tanned fingers stroked the glistening jewel of her maidenhood-”

“Okay stop! Stop right there!” Jak's face was flushed, he could _feel_ it, even though the writing was utterly terrible.

“But Jak,” Daxter gave him a wide-eyed innocent look, “I haven't even told you about how 'Drusus' long, hard, throbbing manhood thrust inside her-'”

Jak lunged for Daxter, or more accurately, Daxter's book. “Give me that!”

Daxter shrieked, delighted, as she dashed away from him. “No, I'm not done with it yet!”

“You are now!” Jak chased Daxter around the bar, stumbling a bit over a pulled out barstool as Daxter danced just out of his reach, dangling the book at him.

“Come on, Hero Boy, you're faster than that!”

Jak growled and lunged for Daxter again, this time managing to catch her, wrapping one arm around her middle and holding her to him as his free hand tried to get the book from her. “Damn it, Daxter!”

“Eeek! Tess catch!” Daxter turned and pitched the book at Tess ,who caught it with a confused look.

“Augh! No!”

Tess clutched the book to her. “I don't see why you're so upset, Jak...”

“It's _demeaning_!” Jak snapped, keeping Daxter pinned. “It's demeaning and embarrassing and-and-and is it even _legal_? I mean, I never gave permission to be used as a model for this sort of thing! Or any sort of thing for that matter!”

Keira leaned against the bar next to Tess. “Why don't you talk to Ashelin about it? I mean, she's the Governor of the city, right? She should be able to put a stop to it, shouldn't she?”

“Right. I think I'll do that. C'mon Dax!” Jak let Daxter go and stomped out of the bar.

Ashelin would fix this.

–

“I can't believe Ashelin did this to me,” Jak groaned to the bar top as Tess refilled his mug of beer and placed it next to him.

“I'm sorry Jak. I didn't know...”

Jak lifted his head and drained half his mug in one go. He couldn't remember how many he had, just Ashelin's horrible betrayal.

'Oh. You didn't read the contract I had you sign?' Ashelin had said to him, 'When you signed the contract about being paid for freelancing to the city, you also agreed to do charity benefits, and allowed the city use of your image. I auctioned off the use of your image to publishing houses, and the one who got it publishes romance novels. Every time a book with your picture, or some semblance thereof, on it sells, the city gets a nice portion of money, a portion of which goes to you. Did you notice you get paid every month? Oh, by the way, you have a photo shoot for a calender next month, so make sure your racing gear is in good shape.'

Jak whimpered and banged his head on the bar top again. And when he complained to her, she had the nerve to say 'it's just business, Jak, don't worry about it.' Don't worry about it. Like hundreds of people weren't drooling over false representations of him and other people weren't making money off it. He wasn't even comfortable with people drooling over him in general! Or making money off of him! It didn't matter that he was getting a portion of it, it made him feel cheap and used. He glanced at Daxter, who had been matching him drink for drink so far (at least, he was pretty sure she had been). Daxter would never do something like that to him. Daxter was his best friend! Daxter was hot and sexy and wonderful and not a horrible backstabbing tattooed bitchface, and Jak really appreciated that. _I should tell her that..._ he thought through his drunken haze. “Hey, hey Dax?”

Daxter turned and beamed at Jak, a faint flush painting her cheeks. “Wassup Jak?”

“Yoooooou are my best friend,” Jak slurred, wobbling a bit in his seat.

“Aww, you're my best friend too, pal!”

“You are _reeally_ wonderful,” Jak continued, leaning closer to her. “You would never betray me, right?”

“Nope!”

“That's right. Because you are wonderful and I really love you.”

Daxter beamed happily at Jak. “I love you too, Jak.”

Jak smiled back at Daxter. She was so beautiful. But Daxter had always been beautiful to Jak. Beautiful and gorgeous and sexy and wonderful and Jak _really_ wanted to kiss her.

So he did.


	5. Awkward Jak is Awkward

Jak woke up with his mouth tasting like a Lurker's armpit and his head feeling like a metalpede landed on it and stomped a few hundred times. With each leg. Jak let out a tiny whimper and curled around the soft warm body in the bed with him. Raging headache and feeling sick to his stomach aside, he really _did_ sleep better when Daxter was there (and he probably should apologize to the people he woke with his yelling the other night. It was embarrassing that he couldn't have a peaceful night of sleep without Daxter there). Jak snuggled closer to Daxter with another soft groan. If drinking was supposed to help things, why did he feel so much worse?

And why was Daxter naked?

Better yet, why was _he_ naked?

Jak froze and swallowed hard. _Okay. This is not the time to panic. I am sure there is a logical, perfectly innocent reason for us to be naked. Maybe we got warm in the middle of the night. Yes. That's it, we just got a little too warm and-_ Daxter rolled over with a tiny sigh and Jak got a good look at her neck. It was _covered_ in bite marks and bruises, from her jaw down as far as her breasts, like she had been mauled. Jak jerked the blanket back. There were finger shaped bruises on Daxter's hips and thighs and around her wrists. Jak reached a shaking hand out and pressed his hand against a set on her hip.

It matched perfectly.

 _Did.... did I rape Daxter last night?_ Why else would there be bruises on her wrists like that, like he was holding her down? Keeping her from getting away? Jak's stomach lurched and he vaulted out of the bed and into the bathroom, barely making it to the toilet before his stomach lurched again and he vomited. If only he could remember what the hell happened last night! _Oh God, Daxter, I'm so sorry...._

There was a soft moan from the other room, but Jak barely heard it over the sound of his retching. “Jak...? Oof, ow... Jak are you okay?” Daxter walked over to the bathroom doorway and leaned against it. “Aww, Jak... You shouldn't have had so much to drink yesterday.... especially since you're not used to it!”

Every gasp for breath Jak made between his bouts of retching sounded suspiciously like a sob, and Daxter knelt next to him, rubbing at his back. “Easy, Jak, easy. Damn... I got you pretty good last night, huh? Your back is all clawed up!”

Jak lifted his head, taking quick, shallow breaths. “H-how can you...be so...calm?”

“....are you really that freaked out?”

Jak stared at her. “....after what I did to you?! How can you ask me that when- damn it, Daxter I _attacked_ you!”

“You did?” Daxter blinked at him. “I don't remember being _attacked...._ ”

“Damn it Daxter _look at yourself!_ ” Jak got to his feet to rinse his mouth out, his legs unsteady. Great, neither of them knew for sure what happened.... he swished the mouthwash around in his mouth and spit it out as Daxter looked at herself in the mirror

“Oh wow... you're a _biter_ when you're drunk...”

“ _How the hell can you be so calm about this?!_ ” Jak demanded, staring at her.

“Because it's not a big deal!” Daxter frowned at Jak. “It's not like it's gonna happen again, right?”

Jak stalked past Daxter and grabbed his clothes from where they were scattered on the floor. He couldn't deal with this right now, with Daxter lying to make him feel better about what he did.

“Jak?” Daxter followed him. “Hey, Jak, come on....”

“I can't do this right now, Dax, okay?! I can't-I-” Jak jammed his feet into his boots and grabbed his eco ring harness and holster. He'll put them on later. Right now he had to get out of there, before Daxter decided to stop lying and tell him how much she hated him, how much of a monster he was....

“Jak, wait-!” Daxter called out to him but Jak was already out the door, hurrying out of the bar and out into the street, when the sunlight stopped him dead in his tracks.

Jak grunted and covered his eyes. “Fuck that's bright....” Jak's comm beeped. “Jak here.”

“Jak, it's Torn. You up for some busy work?”

“If it's more metal head eggs, I'm killing your maintenance teams.”

“Ha, no. It's just something to do, if you want it.”

Jak frowned. Taking a job for Torn or Ashelin rubbed him the wrong way, knowing what he knew now, but he doubted Torn had anything to do with Ashelin's scheming. It wasn't his style. Then again, Jak didn't think it was Ashelin's style either. But doing the job would take his mind off Daxter, and what he had- “Yeah, sure Torn. I'll be at HQ soon.”

“Great. Torn out.”

Jak sighed and tucked away the communicator. Maybe it would be enough...

\--

Jak tried to focus on what Torn was saying. He really did. But he just couldn't get his mind off of Daxter, and what happened the night before. Flashes of Daxter, moaning and crying out as she arched and pressed against him, her nails biting into his back.

“-ak? Jak, you're not even listening to me are you?” Torn was frowning at Jak, his arms crossed over his chest.

Jak shook his head to clear it. “Sorry Torn, what were you saying?”

Torn waved him off. “Forget it, you're obviously not with it today.”

Jak frowned. “....Hey Torn, you'd call us friends, right?”

Torn blinked at him. “I would hope we're friends, yeah.”

“So I can talk to you about things, right?”

“....yes?” Torn frowned at him. “What is this about, anyway?”

Jak rubbed the back of his neck. “You know how I said Daxter had an accident?”

“Yeah. I was wondering where the rat was.”

“Daxter's human again.”

Torn's eyebrows shot up. “Is he? That's good to hear.”

“.....He's a woman.”

Torn blinked at Jak. “I thought Daxter was a guy?”

“He _is._ But when he was changed back to a human, he was turned into a woman.”

“...how does that even work?”

“Precursor tech. Long story.”

“Okay, so Daxter's a human woman. What about it?”

“...Um... Dax and I got really drunk last night.”

A strange look crossed Torn's face. “...are you sure there's no one else you can talk to about this?”

“What?”

“Like the Shadow?”

Jak shuddered. “Ew, no, he's like my Grandfather.”

“Sig?”

Jak shook his head. “Sig's in Spargus, and I'm not calling him for this.”

“What about Jinx?” Torn was reaching, and he knew it.

Jak scowled. “I am not talking to Jinx about this, Torn. The minute he says something perverted about Dax I'd kill him.”

Torn looked pained. “So I'm your only male friend you can talk to?”

“....yeah.”

Torn took a deep breath and leaned back in his chair. “Alright. Lay it on me.”

“I think I raped Daxter last night.”

“ _What?!_ ” Torn's chair fell over with him still in it, and he flailed as he fell. He righted his chair and sat back down, this time leaning forward with his elbows on his desk. “Repeat that for me?”

Jak hung his head, miserable. “I think I raped Daxter last night.”

Torn rubbed at his temples. “What makes you say that, Jak? This is a serious offense, you realize.”

“I can't remember what happened last night, Torn, but when I woke up Dax and I were naked in bed together and Dax... Dax was...” Jak's ears were drooping down to his shoulders. “Dax was _covered_ in bruises and bite marks, and my back is all scratched up from her trying to get away!”

Torn's eyebrows shot up. “What did Daxter have to say?”

“I... Dax said she didn't remember me attacking her, but.. .”

“...can I ask you a personal question?” Jak nodded. “....have you ever _had_ sex before last night?”

Jak flushed bright red, to Torn's surprise. “...no.”

“....okay. How did Daxter seem to you when you woke up?”

“Dax seemed... like Dax. Like nothing was wrong.”

“Did you ask if he knew what happened last night?”

“No... I-I had to get out of there.”

Torn sighed; Jak looked sorrier than a wet crocadog. “Do me, and yourself, a favor Jak: _talk to Daxter._ ”

“But I-”

“No. Talk to Daxter, because from the sound of it, you didn't rape Daxter at all.”

“...I didn't?”

Torn chuckled. “Piece of advice, Jak. Rough sex doesn't equal rape.”

Jak flushed bright red. “What?”

“I am ninety percent sure you're just as rough and tumble in the sack as you are everywhere else Jak, and that's why Daxter is bruised. And why your back was scratched up.”

“And you wanted me to talk to _Samos_ about this,” Jak muttered getting to his feet. “If you're wrong about this-”

“Trust me on this one, I'm probably not.”

Jak sighed and shook his head before walking out.

He really hoped Torn was right.

–

Daxter had showered and dressed after Jak left and slunk out to the front of the bar to sulk. Stupid Jak, what the hell was he even thinking? What the hell made him even _think_ that he would hurt Daxter, even drunk off his ass? Well, okay, so Daxter _was_ a little sore, but that was in a good way! Daxter rested his chin on this arms with a heavy sigh. And, okay, so he kind of _did_ enjoy having sex with Jak, even if it was kind of weird that he enjoyed having sex as a _chick_. And kind of sad that the only way he got Jak to even notice him was as a chick. Which sucked, because if Jak was going to get drunk and say things like 'I love you', it could at least be while Daxter was a guy, if not human.

He was still sitting like that when Tess came out from her rooms above the bar, fresh faced and chipper as always. “Good morning Daxxie!”

“What's so good about it?” He muttered into his arms, his ears drooping.

“Aww, snugglepuss, what's the matter?” Tess blinked at Daxter. “...Daxxie you look like you got _mauled!_ ”

“That's what's the matter. Jak and I... we had sex last night, Tess.”

Tess' eyebrows shot up. “...so what happened?”

“I don't think Jak remembers what happened. I woke up to the sound of him vomiting and he kept talking about how he attacked me, and asking how I could be so calm about everything.”

Tess bit her lip. “So... Jak can't remember what happened, but because your neck is _covered_ in bruises, he thinks he attacked you?”

“And my wrists. And there's bruises on my hips and thighs too.”

“Oh my.”

“We had a night of seriously _amazing_ sex, and he can't remember any of it, and thinks he _attacked me._ ”

“Did you try to tell him that wasn't what happened?”

Daxter shook his head. “I tried, but he ran out of here like he was on fire. I think he doesn't realize that I have a perfectly clear memory of last night. I matched him drink for drink, but it was just _beer_ , you know?”

“And for such a tough guy he's got a really low alcohol tolerance.” Tess leaned forward on her elbows on the bar top. “What are you gonna do?”

“Wait for his stupid ass to come back, I guess. Then I'll explain what really happened to him, and hopefully his freak out is more about the supposed rape and not that it was sex with _me._ ”

Tess reached out and wrapped her hand around his. “...You really like Jak, huh Daxter?”

Daxter looked up at her. “I don't want this to ruin everything you know? Jak and I are too close for something that happened while we were drunk to come between us.”

“Exactly, Daxxie! Things will work out, you'll see!”

Daxter gave Tess a weak smile. “I hope so.”

\--

Jak hunched his shoulders as he stared at the sign to the bar. Daxter should still be in there., and if Daxter was in there and Torn was wrong, the best thing in his life was about to go down the tubes. And it was all his fault, because he just couldn't keep it in his pants. Jak straighted up and took a deep breath before he walked through the open door to the bar. Tess and Daxter were sitting at the bar talking, though both stopped and looked at him as he walked in, and Jak fought the urge to flinch. “...hey.”

Tess patted Daxter's wrist. “You two can use the office to talk.”

Daxter got to her feet and jerked her head in the direction of the office. “C'mon Jak. We need to have a little chat about last night.”

This time Jak _did_ flinch as he followed Daxter, not looking at Tess as he followed Daxter into the office. As soon as the door closed, Jak took a deep breath. “Dax I-”

“You know, I remember everything that happened last night.”

Jak froze. “You- you do?”

Daxter nodded. “Everything you said to me, too.”

“I- what?”

“You kept saying how gorgeous I was, how much you loved me. It was nice.”

Jak bit his lip. “Dax...”

“But that was just the booze talking, huh? 'Cause I'm a girl right now.”

“You're wrong Dax.”

“Hm?”

Jak swallowed hard and lifted his gaze to meet Daxter's. “I've been in love with you since we were thirteen.”

Daxter stared at him, and Jak held his breath.


	6. Just Like In Romance Novels

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: This chapter is _long,_ and has our first smut scene. However. If you're not into het, the beginning and end of said smut scene are marked with *** so you can just skip right past it if you don't want to read. Next chapter is the last one!

Jak watched Daxter, holding his breath.

“Jak? You-you- really? You've really felt that way this whole time? Why didn't you ever _say_ anything, you big dummy!”

Jak nodded. “I didn't want you to hate me. I didn't think you liked me that way – you always seemed so into girls, you know? - so I just didn't say anything.”

Daxter balled up a fist and punched Jak hard in the arm. Twice. “You _dummy!_ ”

Jak rubbed at his arm where Daxter had hit him. “Ow! What the hell, Dax?”

“We could've had this worked out _years_ ago and you just are a big dumb jerk for not telling me!”

Jak frowned at Daxter. “I think I'm missing something here, Dax.”

“If you had just _said something_ I would've- I would've-!” Daxter took a deep breath. “You don't spend as much time together as we do and not get attached, Jak!”

Jak blinked at Daxter. “You- what?”

“I'm saying tell me properly, shit head!”

Jak blinked at Daxter again before it finally clicked and he smiled, leaned forward to press his forehead to Daxter's. “I love you, Dax. Always have, always will.”

“I love you too, you big sap,” Daxter muttered, wrapping her arms around him. “I'd be willing to give it a shot with you, you know. It's not like anything would _change_ except the addition of sex, right?”

Jak held Daxter tighter and buried his face in her hair. “...you sure?”

“You just have to promise that it won't stop when I'm a guy again, if I ever get turned back into a guy. I'll forgive you if you wanna stop if I go back to being an ottsel though.”

Jak gave a weak chuckle. “Dax, I wanted you even as an ottsel.”

Daxter pulled away and blinked up at him. “What? Like _wanted_ wanted me?” Jak nodded, his cheeks and ears pink. “You kinky freak!” Daxter laughed, but she looked infinitely pleased.

“I love you for who you are, Dax, not what,” Jak muttered, nuzzling Daxter's temple fondly. “...are you really sure, Dax?”

“Yes, Jak. Now stop worrying and kiss me already, doofus.”

Jak leaned down and pressed a soft, timid kiss to Daxter's mouth. He let out a startled noise when Daxter grabbed his face and pressed up against him, kissing him harder as she backed him up against the door. Jak let himself be guided as he kissed her back. He was probably bad at it, he thought in the back of his mind, before that thought was wiped clean out of his head by Daxter's kisses, Daxter's scent, the feel of Daxter pressed against him. “Dax...”

“Hm...?” Daxter pulled back with a happy, dazed smile that Jak was sure he was matching. “What's up?”

“...we're gonna be okay, right?”

“Of course we are, Jak. We're always okay. Think Tess would mind if we had sex in the office?”

Jak's face felt like it was on fire. “I'd rather not find out if she does if it's all the same to you.”

Daxter grinned. “What's the matter Jak? Scared?”

“...I don't remember our first time together. Not clearly.” Jak could feel his shoulders hunching under Daxter's scrutiny. “Yeah, it might be kind of stupid, but-”

“No, I get it. You're a big sap, you know that? Don't worry, I won't tell. Your bad boy image has taken enough of a beating at being on romance novel covers.”

Jak rolled his eyes and poked Daxter in the side. “Shut up.”

Daxter laughed and leaned up to kiss him again. “I can't believe you've been in love with me this whole time. I had no idea, you know? Not even an inkling; you seemed so into Keira.”

“She's nice, and really pretty, but she's not _you_ Dax.” Jak shrugged, “I mean, I didn't think you were interested so I tried to focus on her. Which wasn't really fair to her, I know.”

Daxter rolled her eyes, “Trust me, Keira's fine. So, do we find a bed and rut in it?”

Jak sputtered and laughed, pulled Daxter into another kiss, marveling at the fact that he could _do that_ now without having to worry about being hated, or hit. “Let's put some work in at the gun course first, okay? There's still your arena challenge to think of.”

Daxter pouted. “Aw, hell. I forgot about that.”

Jak smoothed Daxter's hair back. “As much as I want to spend all day in bed with you, we have to put in time on the gun course. We should ask Tess about how your gun is coming along.”

“She said it'll be done by tomorrow. So, oh well, can't do the gun course!”

Jak laughed again. “You can use my gun for some practice while we wait. Come on, Dax, you'll have to do it if you get turned back into a guy anyway.”

“Do I get rewards for doing well?”

“Sure, why not.” Jak had to smile at Daxter's grin, “And then, tonight, we'll do something nice if you get some good scores on the course.”

“Oh? Define nice.”

“I was thinking take out from that place we like and crashing at the Palace?”

“Which has big comfy beds. I see your thought process here, Jak, don't think I don't.”

Jak grinned and kissed Daxter again. “First let's find you some Green Eco huh? I feel bad about your neck.”

Daxter rolled her eyes. “You worry too much. It doesn't even hurt, and getting them was so much fun.”

Jak flushed, and jumped, startled, when Daxter grabbed his ass. “Hey!”

“This is going to be hilarious fun, Jak.”

Jak's ears drooped worriedly. “What do you mean?”

Daxter just grinned at him. “Come on, let's go. That faster we get this over with the faster we can get to the fun stuff.”

Jak watched Daxter walk out, his ears burning with his embarrassment. He wasn't sure what Daxter's idea of 'fun stuff' entailed, but he was more than happy to find out.

–

Once they had patched Daxter up, using some Green Eco patches to get rid of the dark bruising on Daxter's neck, Daxter and Jak had headed off to the gun course with Tess eying them suspiciously. Given a proper reward system, Daxter had taken to the gun course like a house on fire, and while Daxter wasn't exactly the crack shot that Jak was, she was no slouch either. For every ranking score she earned, Jak had kissed her, or she managed to wrangle the promise of more sandwiches out of Jak and even one back rub that she would collect on after the arena challenge was won.   
Jak had sat, cringing, through excited squeals and hugging when they got back to the bar and Daxter told Tess that they had worked everything out and Jak was now Daxter's “sexy man-bitch”, whatever she had meant by that, and they were officially “an item” now.

Finally, eventually, they had made it back to the Palace. The guards were pointedly _not_ looking at Daxter as she and Jak made their way to the room Jak usually stayed in while visiting Haven City, two bags of delicious South Kras style take out in their arms. Granted, cartons of sticky ribs and ducken along with some fried rice, long noodles, and bottles of fizzy pop weren't exactly the most romantic of dinners, but Daxter didn't seem to care and neither did Jak. It wasn't like they were going to get up to anything while they were eating besides watching whatever old style movie was on the telescreen that night. Jak found that he and Daxter preferred the monster movies, finding them utterly hysterical in comparison with their every day lives.

Daxter glanced at Jak as she picked up a piece of sticky ducken between the two sticks the people in South Kras used to eat with. “Hey Jak?”

“Hm?” Jak glanced at Daxter out of the corner of his eye as he slurped up a mouthful of noodles.

“...we are gonna have sex tonight, right?”

Jak nearly choked on his noodles, grabbing up his bottle of pop and taking a long swig before he could breath again. “What?”

Daxter poked around her carton of food. “It's just... you're not making a move. I mean, it already happened once, it shouldn't be a big deal, right?”

Jak blinked at her. “...It _is_ a big deal for me, Dax. I just figured we'd eat first.”

Daxter smirked and nudged Jak's shoulder with her own. “Build up our energy, huh?”

Jak flushed and shoved another mouthful of noodles into his mouth. “Something like that,” he muttered around his mouthful.

Daxter laughed. “I was starting to get worried you weren't interested, and then Tess would've given me those condoms for nothing.”

Jak sputtered and choked again, coughing violently. “Damn it, Dax,don't _say_ shit like that while I'm eating!”

“You are so easily flustered it's _adorable_!” Daxter grinned and took a bite of ducken. “You, the big bad hero of the world _three times_ , and you can't even talk about sex without blushing. But don't worry, Jak, that will change.”

“If it gets you to stop making fun of me, I certainly hope so,” Jak muttered, taking another sip of pop.

“Aww, come on. You know I only do it because you're so pretty when you blush.” Daxter leaned up and kissed Jak's cheek, but he turned and caught her mouth in a soft kiss.

“Let's just finish eating and watching the movie, hm? Then we'll move on to other things.”

Daxter chuckled against Jak's mouth before pulling away. “As you wish.”

***

The movie ended and Jak gathered up the remains of their dinner while Daxter watched him from where she was sprawled out on the bed, her boots abandoned at the end of the bed. “That was a great movie, huh?”

Jak chuckled as he tossed the trash into the bin before sprawling out next to Daxter and kicking off his boots. “I liked it, even if there is no way just one Eco grenade would be enough to make an explosion that big.”

“Oh come on, Jak, it's a movie.”

Jak chuckled and rolled onto his side to face Daxter, reaching a hand out to tug her goggles off and set them aside. “It's rather boring compared to our every day lives, Dax.”

“I hear that, gorgeous.” Daxter smiled at him coyly. “Well, dinner and the movie are over, Jak.”

Jak rolled them over so that he was pinning Daxter to the bed. “So they are,” He murmured, smoothing a lock of hair out of Daxter's face.

“Well? Can we have sex _now_?”

Jak chuckled and dipped his head to kiss her softly, practically sighing into it with pleasure as Daxter wrapped her arms around him. “Dax...”

Daxter smiled up at him, fingers playing with the short hair at the nape of his neck. “You okay?”

“...we're really gonna do this. I'm not dreaming, or imagining this or anything like that, right?”

Daxter grinned and reached down to pinch Jak's rear, making him jerk in alarm. “There, proof that you're not dreaming.”

Jak growled playfully down at Daxter. “You're going to pay for that.”

“Oh I'm so scared,” Daxter whimpered, looking up at Jak with large eyes, though she couldn't hide the spark of mischief in them. “What are you going to do to me?” Jak bent his head to nuzzle at Daxter's jaw, and dragged his lips down her throat, feeling her breath catch under his mouth. “Don't leave my neck one giant bruise this time, okay?”

Jak chuckled against Daxter's throat and bit down on her pulse gently. “I'll do my best.” Jak pulled away with a little reluctance to look down at Daxter, before he sheepishly moved a hand to the buttons on her vest. “Um...”

Daxter rolled her eyes with a laugh. “It's _okay,_ Jak. Do you want me to-?”

“I got it,” Jak slowly started undoing the buttons on Daxter's vest as she sat up on her elbows to watch him, and Jak prayed she didn't notice his hands shaking. He brushed the vest down off her shoulders once he finished unbuttoning it and sucked in a slow breath as he stared. Daxter's skin was smooth and pale, but what really caught his attention was her freckles. They were scattered across Daxter's shoulders and down her sides, but there was one lone freckle right next to her nipple on her right breast. Jak ran the pad of his thumb over the tiny dark spot and watched, fascinated, as Daxter's nipples drew up tight.

“Jak...” Daxter bit her lower lip as she watched him. “Stop _staring_ and start _touching_ already!”

Jak blinked and dragged his gaze up to Daxter's face. “Sorry?”

“That's it, roll over, I'm taking over.”

Jak laughed and moved easily when Daxter rolled them over and straddled Jak's hips. Daxter flung her vest off to the side and stripped out of her gloves and goggles, tossing those away too. “Whoa, Dax, slow down!” Jak brought his hands up to grip Daxter's hips as she started unstrapping Jak's Eco ring.

“I'm _not_ going to slow down, I have been wanting to jump you since we were talking in the office!” Daxter poked him in the chest. “But you wanted to wait, so I waited, and now I'm done waiting!”

“You always did have patience problems,” Jak teased, sitting up so Daxter could pull off his Eco ring and harness and toss it aside.

“Shut up and take off your shirt,” Daxter grumbled, tugging Jak's goggles free from his hair and unwinding his scarf from around his neck. “I am in _need,_ here.” Daxter rose up on her knees as Jak sat up and peeled out of his shirt. He tossed it to the side before he wrapped his arms around Daxter and held her close, dragging his tongue slowly over her nipple. Daxter whimpered, fisting her hands in Jak's hair as she squirmed in his grip. “ _Oh shit-Ah!_ ”

Jak shivered, feeling his eyes roll back as Daxter tugged weakly at his hair. He moved to Daxter's other nipple and tugged on it gently with his teeth and making her cry out and tug harder on his hair. Jak pulled away with a final lick and tugged Daxter down into a hungry kiss. “ Mine.”

“Is that so?” Daxter murmured against Jak's mouth, her hands sliding own his chest to open his belt and pants. “I was just thinking I should get you a little collar that says 'Property of Daxter' on it.”

Jak sucked in a sharp breath as he felt Daxter's hand wrap around his cock. “Nn-!” His hips jerked up into her grip as he buried his face against her throat, breathing in her scent before he bit down.

Daxter cried out, her hand tightening on Jak's cock before she pulled away, panting. “Pants. Off.” Jak growled and hooked his fingers in Daxter's waistband, sliding them around to open her pants and   
tug them and her shorts down in one swift motion. Daxter stepped out of her pants and bent to retrieve them. “Wait wait wait, before we forget again!”

Jak groaned, but slid out of his own pants and shorts and kicked them out of the way as Daxter dug around in her pockets. “What are we forgetting?”

“Condoms, stupid.” Daxter threw a bunch of them at Jak before dropping her pants. “As awesome as our kid would be, I have no desire to be a parent.”

Jak blinked, frowning. “We would be _terrible_ parents, Dax.”

“But our kid would be _awesome,_ Jak. And that awesome would destroy the world.”

“I worked hard to save said world, Dax.”

Daxter climbed back onto the bed with a grin and crawled into Jak's lap. “Which is why I got the condoms out that Tess gave me. Now lie back and let me work.”

Jak frowned up at Daxter as she fiddled with a foil packet. “Hey...”

“I had Tess show me how to put these on, hold still.” Daxter bit her lip as she focused on the task in front of her, though it made Jak blush a little to realize that task was _his cock._ Daxter carefully rolled the rubber disc down Jak's cock, and Jak frowned.

“....why is it bright pink?”

“Those were the ones she gave me, and said if we didn't like the color we should've bought our own. Trust me, you should see her vibrator.”

“I'd rather not,” Jak growled, and rocked his hips up. “I'd rather fuck you, Dax, if you don't mind?”

“Now who's the one rushing?” Daxter teased as she braced one hand on Jak's chest, as she used the other to guide him inside her. Daxter slid slowly down Jak's cock with a long, low moan, her eyes fluttering as her nails dug into Jak's skin.

Jak groaned, his hands clenching on Daxter's hips before he forced himself to let go and slid his hands up her body. “Dax...”

Daxter shivered around Jak, her nails digging harder into his skin. “Oh...oh _hell_...” Daxter slowly lifted herself up and slid back down again, repeating the motion while rolling her hips this way and that until she found a rhythm she liked. “Oh yeah, that's _perfect_...”

Jak moaned and rocked up into Daxter. Even through the rubber of the condom she felt _amazing_ , tight and slick and hot and soft and everything he half-remembered from the night before but _better_ because it was here and now. Jak slid his hands up along Daxter's ribs before sliding them across her skin to fondle her breasts, pinching and rolling her nipples between his forefingers and thumbs, drawing gasps and mewls from Daxter as she moved on top of him. “You're amazing Daxter.”

Daxter's cheeks were pink as she moved, her back arching as she pressed her breasts into his hands. “You're not so bad yourself... I was serious about that collar you know,” She moaned out. “ _Ah-_ Maybe black leather with spikes on it.”

Jak growled playfully up at her before he rolled them over, pinned her to the mattress and kissed her breathless. “So I'd be your pet, huh?”

Daxter grinned up at him. “I'd keep you on a leash, too. Make you walk around in your racing pants and your Eco ring and that's it- _Ah!_ ” Daxter gasped as Jak thrust into her hard. “Oh fuck, do that again!”

Jak did it again, rolling his hips as one hand slid under Daxter's knee. “I love you Dax,” He murmured softly as he thrust into her.

Daxter wrapped her arms and legs around Jak, pulling herself up to meet him in a hot, hungry kiss as they moved together. “Jak...”

Jak held her close to his body, pressing tender kisses to her skin where he could reach and stroking a hand down her side. He could feel himself getting closer, and he shrugged Daxter's legs over his shoulders and pressed deeper inside her. “You feel so good Dax...”

Daxter gasped, and mewled as the change in position, her nails digging into Jak's back as she dropped her head back. “ _Ah-!_ ” She wormed a hand in between them, and rubbed vigorously at something, Jak braced himself on one hand and reached down to join Daxter's hand in rubbing at the tiny little nub that Daxter seemed so focused on. “Oh _fuck_ , yes, Jak, just like that-!”

Jak continued to use his thumb to toy with the nub as he thrust inside Daxter. “Are you close, Dax?”

“ _Yes,_ ” Daxter sobbed out, her hands reaching above her to press against the headboard as she arched. “Yes yes yes don't stop-!”

Jak groaned and bent down, biting hard at Daxter's shoulder as he came, and Daxter shrieked, tightening down around Jak as she came. Jak shuddered, his arm barely supporting him as he buried his face in Daxter's throat. “....wow,” he said quietly, after a long moment. “That was... yeah.”

“Much better than the romance novels described it,” Daxter murmured, reaching one hand up stroke through Jak's hair. “You're gonna need to clean your glove...”

“Eh?” Jak blinked. He had forgotten to take off his gloves and arm guards. “...oh. Whatever. Worth it.”

Daxter laughed and shifted her legs as Jak snuggled up against her. “Glad you think so too.”

Jak's whole body was practically humming with contentment and joy as he nuzzled Daxter's temple. “...uhg. I need to get this thing off.”

“The condom?”

“Yeah. It's starting to feel gross.”

Daxter chuckled and gave Jak a gentle shove. “Go on then, it's fine. But hurry back before I get cold. Besides, there are more condoms to work through.”

Jak got to his feet and padded toward the room's bathroom with a chuckle. “Yes Mistress.” Jak almost wanted to laugh for the sheer joy he was feeling inside. Who knew he could feel this happy?

***

When Jak awoke the next morning, he was wrapped around something warm and soft and Jak smiled. This time he remembered the events of the previous night, and why he and Daxter were naked in each other's arms. Jak buried his face in Daxter's hair and sighed softly his hands stroking Daxter's skin and making her roll in his arms and snuggle up close to him.

Daxter blinked awake and smiled. “Hey.”

“Hey,” Jak murmured and nuzzled her temple. “Sleep okay?”

“Yeah, actually.” Daxter grinned at him. “Amazing what a night of hot sex does as a sleep aide.”

Jak grinned back and held Daxter tighter. “Clearly it's something we should use more often.”

“Considering how badly you sleep some nights, I can get behind that idea.” Jak chuckled and rolled Daxter onto her back, kissing her. “So,” Daxter murmured, between kisses. “What's our plan for today?”

Jak nuzzled Daxter's jaw. “More work on the gun course.”

“Oh come on, Jak!”

“Daxter, your arena fight is in a few days.”

Daxter sighed. “Yeah, I know...”

“I'm not gonna be able to go in with you, Dax-”

“And you're worried, I get it.” Daxter kissed the tip of Jak's nose. “But I still get rewards for doing well, right?”

Jak rolled his eyes, but he grinned. “Of course.”

“Better stock up on more condoms.”

Jak kissed Daxter again. “Yeah.”

Daxter bit her lip. “...share a shower?”

Jak blinked down at Daxter and smiled. “Yeah.”

Daxter grinned.

\--

Come the day of the Arena challenge, both Daxter and Jak were confident in Daxter's abilities (though Jak was still worried about the whole thing), and Tess had finished modifying a gun for Daxter to use (that Daxter had promptly named Ginger, after her favorite pin-up girl). Jak was sitting next to Sig in the dais, his fingers digging into the arms of his chair.

Sig patted Jak's shoulder. “Daxter's gonna be _fine,_ Jak. You've got nothing to worry about.”

Jak nodded tightly, keeping his eyes glued to the arena below as the fight started.

\--

Daxter took deep, steadying breaths, focusing on keeping his grip on Ginger steady. _'Alright Daxter, you can do this. You've seen Jak do it a million times and he even said you were a good shot. Now you just have to keep that in mind while other people are trying to kill you.'_ Daxter swallowed hard and gripped his gun tighter just as the start of the fight was announced and Marauders immediately started pouring into the Arena.

Daxter bolted for one of the large metal crates, remembering Jak's first arena fight - that the floor sank into the lava - leaving only the tops of the metal crates above the surface as safe zones. Several of the Marauders went after each other, the clash and sing of metal on metal was loud in Daxter's ears as their swords crashed together. However, some of the Marauders charged straight for Daxter's crate, their swords raised above their heads. Daxter brought up his gun and fired, catching one Marauder in the chest and sending him crashing down to the ground, taking a few others with him as he fell.

 _'That's it Daxter, just like in the gun course. You can do this... '_ Daxter shifted his aim and fired off a few more shots, taking out more Marauders even as more jumped down to replace them.

The floor began its first descent into the lava and Daxter began to pick off the Marauders as they scrambled to safety. Three Marauders made a break for Daxter's crate, and Daxter took out two of them before the third started to scramble up next to him. He lashed out with his foot, kicking the Marauder viciously in the jaw and sending him sprawling backward just as the lava began to rise.

The Marauder screamed in pain as the lava engulfed him and Daxter turned his attention to the three other platforms. The Marauders on them were struggling, trying to push each other off and into the lava. Daxter lifted his gun and took aim, firing off several shots that completely cleared one of the platforms of Marauders.

The floor rose up again, and there were only a few Marauders left. Daxter lifted his gun to fire again when pain exploded in his shoulder, so fierce that it sent him staggering off the platform and crashing to the hard metal floor with a scream of agony.

One of the Marauders had thrown his sword at him and it was embedded in his shoulder. Daxter tugged it out with another cry of pain and tossed it aside. He lay on the ground, drawing in harsh sobbing gasps for air as tears ran down his cheeks. The pain was excruciating, and it was all he could do to just keep breathing and not pass out.

 _'Come on, Dax, keep it together. Jak is watching...'_ He could hear the three remaining Marauders making their way over to him between fighting with each other, and he forced his hand to grip his gun tightly. Just as they rounded the crate he was behind, Daxter shot two of them as he got to her feet with one hand clutching at his shoulder, blood gushing between his fingers.

 _“COME ON DAX!”_ Jak cried from the dais, over the roar of the crowd, _“YOU CAN DO IT! TAKE HIM OUT!”_

Daxter grinned and lifted his gun as the Marauder charged at him.

He fired.

\--

Jak felt the Dark Eco welling up inside of him as he watched Daxter fall from the crate. He lunged forward, fully prepared to leap over the railing and into the Arena below when Sig's large hand on his chest stopped him. “Hang on, Chilipepper, the fight's nearly over.”

“Let go, Sig,” Jak growled. “Dax needs me.”

“Just watch,” Sig said again, keeping his hand on Jak's chest.

Jak watched, a helpless feeling in his chest, as Daxter lay panting and bleeding on the ground, the sword that she had pulled from her shoulder a few feet from her hand, glistening red with her blood. His heart was in his throat as Daxter fired, taking out two of the Marauders that were advancing on her as she staggered to her feet. _'She's gonna make it! Dax is gonna win!'_ He thought excitedly, pushing against Sig's hand to get a better view. _“COME ON, DAX!”_ Jak cheered, his hands cupped over his mouth. _“YOU CAN DO IT! TAKE HIM OUT!”_

The final Marauder charged at Daxter and she fired, hitting the Marauder in the chest just as he was about to bring his large machete down on her head. The blade fell to the side as the Marauder slumped down to his knees and then over, leaving Daxter the last person standing in the Arena. She looked up at the Dais and caught Jak's gaze, giving him a huge, happy smile as the crowd roared.

Sig clapped Jak on the shoulder with a chuckle. “See? What did I tell you, Chilipepper?”

Jak only had eyes for Daxter as she rode up the elevator to the platform before the Dais, still holding onto her shoulder.

Daxter's breath was labored as she stood before Sig, her gun clutched weakly in her hand. “I made it,” she panted.

“That you did, Cherry. I'm proud of you. Here's your full battle amulet, and your own gate pass to the city, should you ever need it.”

Daxter gave Sig a weak smile. “Could you give those to Jak to hang onto? I think I'm gonna fall over now...”

Sig chuckled and handed the two items to Jak, who tucked them away in his pack before he vaulted over the railing to the Dais and scooped Daxter up into his arms. “Alright then, you two get on to the healing house. I still have a few more fights to oversee.”

“Later Sig,” Daxter called weakly before Jak took off with her out of the Arena and toward the healing house. “You're seriously gonna carry me the whole way?”

“Yes.” The smell of blood – _Daxter's_ blood – was nearly enough to make him start to go Dark again.

“Jak, it's okay. I'm still here and they're not and I'm going to get patched up in the Healing House and everything will be _fine._ ”

“How's your shoulder?”

“I kind of want to die,” Daxter replied, wincing. “But it's nothing a little Green Eco won't fix.”

Jak nodded and walked faster, trying his best not to jar Daxter's shoulder any more than he absolutely had to.

–

The combination of pain killers and the feeling of Green Eco sinking into his body and re-knitting bone and tissue was a blessing, and made Daxter sigh with relief. The wound would leave a slight scar, but Daxter didn't care. He was alive and mostly unharmed, and was now officially a full citizen of Spargus. Daxter sighed and shifted back against the pillows on the bed, pulled the sheet up higher as he watched Jak mend Daxter's now-clean vest. Jak had gotten pretty good at mending holes in shirts, after getting so many in his own clothes over the years. “Thanks for fixing my vest for me, Jak.”

“You're welcome,” Jak glanced at him with a tiny smile. “I need something to take my mind off the fight. When that sword hit you, I nearly went Dark. I should've been down there with you, Dax-”

“It's okay, Jak,” Daxter reached out and patted Jak's knee. “Now that we know I can do it on my own, I never have to do it on my own again.”

Jak took Daxter's hand and kissed the back of it. “Yeah. And when we get home, I'll give you that back rub I promised.”

“Jak? Daxter?” One of the healers padded over to them. “We just received a message for you from the King.”

Jak and Daxter blinked at each other. “What's the message?”

“He has received word from the Wasteland. The broken Precursor machine that transformed Daxter has been repaired.”


	7. Perfectly You-Shaped (Sexy God-King Remix)

Daxter stared at the healer, hands knotted in the sheet over his chest. “They fixed it?”

The healer nodded. “The King has requested that you both see him as soon as your healing is finished, Daxter.”

Daxter nodded mutely and the healer left, hands knotting in the sheet. “They fixed it.”

Jak reached out and patted Daxter's knee. “You okay?”

“...What if I turn back into an ottsel instead of a human guy, Jak?”

Jak reached out and pulled Daxter into a hug, mindful of his still healing shoulder. “Then we'll deal with it then. It will work out, Daxter, I promise.”

Daxter leaned against Jak. “...you haven't broken a promise to me yet.”

“Then there's nothing to worry about, is there?” Jak pressed his forehead to Daxter's with a smile. “As soon as you're done healing, we'll go check it out, okay?”

Daxter nodded and nuzzled Jak. “Thank God one of us is an optimist.”

“Eh, it comes and goes.” Jak grinned down Daxter, who rolled his eyes and pushed away from Jak's chest.

“Just hurry up and finish mending my shirt, Jak. Or should I call you man-wife?”

Jak frowned. “Man-wife?”

“Yes. You make me sandwiches, you mend my clothing, thus you are my man-wife.”

“And what does that make you?”

Daxter grinned at him. “Why, I am your Sexy God-King, Jak.”

Jak grabbed the pillow from behind Daxter's back and biffed him in the face with it. “ _As if_ , you little wise-ass.”

“Domestic violence is bad, man-wife! You should show more respect to your Sexy God-King!”

“You're lucky you're still recovering, you little brat!”

Daxter laughed, “Oh my, you kinky beast!”

The head healer frowned at them, his face like a craggy cliff-face. “I will boot your honey-mooning asses out of my house if you two don't knock it off right this second, still healing or not!”

Jak glanced at healer and cleared his throat, picking up Daxter's vest and continued with the repair. “I'll get you later, Daxter, just you wait,” Jak muttered threateningly at Daxter, though his smile took the heat from the words.

“We'll see about that,” Daxter murmured back, putting his pillow back behind him and settling against it.

The healer shot them another hard look, and Jak and Daxter blinked back at him innocently. When the healer turned away in a huff, the two turned to each other and grinned.

 _Oh yeah,_ Daxter thought with a grin, _We're gonna be fine._

–

“This is gonna suck,” Daxter said, staring with trepidation at the patterned floor of the Precursor outpost.

Jak squeezed Daxter's shoulder. “Hey. It'll be okay. I'm right here.”

“Just don't punch anything okay?” Daxter glanced at him with a crooked smile. “Even if I'm screaming.”

Jak searched Daxter's face. “...you don't have to do this you know.”

“Yes I do. As nice as having tits is, this isn't my body. I don't want to stay like this forever. And I don't think you want me to, either.”

Jak shook his head. “As nice as it is, you're right. It's not you. I'd rather have you as an ottsel than like this.”

“That is because you are a kinky kinky freak, Jak,” Daxter grinned.

Jak flushed. “You shut up and get on with it already!”

Daxter laughed and stepped into the middle of the pattern on the floor. “Okay, let 'er rip.”

Jak brushed his hand against the console, and it light up again, surrounding Daxter in white light. Jak held his breath, his hands clenching into tight fists as Daxter cried out. It felt like a small eternity had passed until the light finally faded and Jak's breath left him in a rush.

Daxter was still human.

Daxter was a _guy_ again.

Daxter cracked open one eye and looked to Jak. “...well, I'm still taller.” He patted himself down. “And I'm a dude again!” Daxter beamed happily at Jak. “We did it!”

Jak laughed. “So what are you going to do now?”

Daxter grinned and strode confidently over to Jak. “I am getting laid,” He murmured before pulling Jak into a kiss.

Jak wrapped his arms around Daxter as he kissed him back, his chest feeling tight. Kissing Daxter like this was different from kissing Daxter as a girl, but only in the most subtle of ways. Like this Daxter was harder, more sharp angles than soft curves, and Jak loved feeling Daxter's new (old?) body pressed against him. _This_ was the way it should've been all these years, _this_ is how Daxter belonged. Jak pulled away to press his forehead to Daxter's. “Can it wait until we get home?”

Daxter grinned. “We can pick up lube on the way there.”

Jak blushed and just held Daxter closer. “...yeah.”

“Hey Jak?”

“Yeah, Dax?”

“It's good to be back.”

“It's good to have you back, Dax.”

–

They ended up not being able to pick up lube before they got back to their apartment in Spargus, and the idea of using gun oil just didn't sit right with Jak.

Daxter flopped back on their bed with a groan. “Damn it! I was really looking forward to having sex, too. I finally have my junk back, and now I don't get to use it!”

Jak flushed even as he started getting undressed for the night. “We'll go to Haven tomorrow and get some, I promise, Dax.”

“And then I will bend you over the nearest surface and have my wicked wicked way with you.”

Jak set aside his holster, his face feeling like it was on fire. “Why are you on top in this little scenario?”

“Because you topped when I was a girl. It's my turn!”

Jak settled back next to Daxter on the bed. “Really?”

Daxter rolled over to face Jak. “You're seriously giving me a hard time about this? After all I suffered?” Daxter straddled Jak and glared down at him. “After everything you would seriously deny me my right as your Sexy God-King to bang you so hard you'll walk funny the next day?”

Jak couldn't help it, he started laughing, one arm coming up to cover his eyes. “Oh man, you should see your _face!_ ”

Daxter scowled down at him. “And now you're laughing at me.”

“Sorry, Dax,” Jak looked up at him, still smiling, and slid his hands up Daxter's thighs to his hips. “Just... Gotta make you work for it, don't I?”

Daxter scowled and poked Jak in the chest. “Not really, no. We should just use the gun oil, your delicate sensibilities be damned.”

Jak rolled his eyes and folded his hands behind his head. “Oh come on, Dax.”

“Why are you so against this? Is this a man-pride thing?”

“Man-pride from your man-wife?”

“Jak...”

Jak rolled them over and looked down at Daxter. “Dax. There are other things we can do you realize.”

“Well, yeah, but-”

“Do you want me to suck your cock or what, Dax?” Jak blurted out, his face red.

Daxter blinked up at him, stunned speechless for a few seconds before he finally found his voice again. “Yeah. We can do that.”

Jak's ears were aflame as he shifted downward to kneel on the floor at the foot of the bed as Daxter sat up. “Sorry if I'm bad at this. I haven't exactly done it before.”

Daxter chuckled weakly as he shifted to the edge of the bed, planting his feet on either side of Jak. “I like to think I would've heard about it if you had.”

Jak swallowed hard. “...would it be weird if I told you I've wanted to do this since we were thirteen?”

Daxter's cheeks went pink. “I'm actually kinda flattered, big guy.”

Jak opened Daxter's jeans with steady hands, though inside he was more nervous than he had ever been in his life. Daxter was _really_ going to let him do this, he was even already half hard and Jak hadn't done anything more than open his pants! Jak pulled Daxter from out of his boxers and stroked him a few times, trying to mimic what he liked on himself on Daxter. “Ready?”

“Go to town, Jak,” Daxter said with a cheeky grin. Jak rolled his eyes, but the grin eased the butterflies in his stomach as he leaned forward and licked the head of Daxter's cock. The small action dragged a low moan out of Daxter, who leaned back on his hands and watched Jak from under heavy lids.

Jak closed his eyes as he took Daxter into his mouth, not wanting to be distracted by that gaze as he slowly bobbed his head, his tongue pressing to the underside of Daxter's cock. Daxter moaned again, and the sound sent a shiver down Jak's spine as he sucked. Jak nearly jumped when Daxter's hand ran through his hair and rested on his head, and he opened his eyes to look up at Daxter with a questioning noise.

“You should see how you look right now, Jak,” Daxter murmured.

Jak pulled off of Daxter to lick at the head of his cock again. “Dax?”

Daxter smiled. “You've got a great mouth, did you know that, Jak? Especially the way you look right now. You wear the 'I've been giving head' look real nice, Jak.”

Jak flushed, staring up at Daxter as he ran a thumb over Jak's bottom lip. “You think so, Dax?”

“Yeah. C'mere,” Daxter tugged Jak up into a kiss and Jak moaned into it, climbing back onto the bed and knocking Daxter onto his back. Suddenly their hands were everywhere, running greedily over skin as they tugged at each other's clothes and flung them aside until they were both naked and aching hard.

Jak gasped as Daxter bit his shoulder and used Jak's surprise to roll them over, and rocked against Jak. “ _Daxter,_ ” Jak moaned, rocking his hips up to meet Daxter's as their erections rubbed together, trapped between their bellies.

“Oh _fuck-!_ ” Daxter moaned, and Jak growled, rolling them back over and pinning Daxter to the mattress, kissing him hungrily. Daxter whimpered and wrapped his legs around Jak's, reached one hand between them to pump them both as best he could. Jak reached down with his other hand to join him, and the both moaned, Jak burying his face in Daxter's throat as Daxter dug the fingers of his free hand into Jak's back. “Oh _God_ , Jak, _fuck_ I'm gonna- I'm gonna-!”

Jak went still as he came with a low, shuddering moan, and Daxter wasn't too far behind him, coming with a shout that he muffled in Jak's shoulder. Jak slumped over to the side, careful not to crush Daxter even as his bones felt like liquid. “...wow.”

Daxter moaned in agreement, rolling on his side to face Jak. “....totally getting lube tomorrow.”

“Oh _God_ yes,” Jak breathed in agreement, wrapping his arms around Daxter and pulling him close.

Daxter snuggled against Jak with a happy noise. “Hey Jak?”

Jak smiled softly at Daxter. “Shower?”

Daxter grinned, “It's like you can read my mind.”

Jak chuckled and nuzzled Daxter's temple. “Give me a minute, then we'll shower.”

“I can live with that.”

–

They ended up returning to the Naughty Ottsel after buying the lube, and Tess gave Daxter a confused look before she brightened. “Daxxie! You're back to normal!”

“Damn right I am, baby,” He slung himself onto a barstool next to her and grinned. “And I won my arena challenge. Obviously.”

“Oh Daxxie, I knew you could do it!” Tess flung her arms around Daxter and smooched him before hugging him to her chest.

Jak felt a surge of jealousy, clenching his fists at his sides, though he relaxed when Daxter pulled away. “Easy, Tessybabe, a guy needs to breathe!” Daxter grinned at her. “And I already got my victory kiss from Jak.”

“I just bet!” Tess grinned at Jak and winked before returning her attention to Daxter. “So what happened?”

“Tess, we're gonna need drinks for this one.”

Tess strolled around the counter and poured them each a drink as Jak slid onto the stool next to Daxter. “I just bet we are.”

–

“-and that's when I told him 'Stand down, you filthy monkey!' and he was all 'Oh no, please don't hurt me!' and that's how I won the Arena challenge!”

Tess clapped her hands in front of her chest and fluttered her eyes. “Oh Daxter, you're _amazing!_ ”

“Yeah, I know.” Daxter drained his mug and grinned at her. “You should've seen Jak, he was a total wreck!”

Tess glanced at Jak and Jak shrugged. “I was worried. I knew Daxter could do it, but the Arena's pretty tough.”

“It's so sweet that you worry about him like that, Jak.”

Jak shrugged again and took a sip of his own mug; he had been nursing the same beer since the start of Daxter's story. “I always worry about Daxter.”

Tess smiled again. “So what brought you two back to Haven, other than to see me?”

Daxter grinned. “We needed lube so that I can bend Jak over and hit that like the fist of an angry god.”

Jak sputtered into his drink as Tess giggled. “Well, far be it for me to keep you from such an important task, Daxxie! Are you gonna get a hotel room?”

Daxter's ears perked up. “Tessykins, you're brilliant! C'mon Jak, let's go get some cash and get a really nice hotel room.”

Jak drained his mug before Daxter practically dragged him off the stool and out the door.

–

The hotel room was pretty nice, Jak thought as he looked around. Daxter had gotten them the honeymoon suite for a week, which earned them both an arched eyebrow from the attendant and had embarrassed Jak, though, thankfully, he managed to keep his blush in check. However, the attendant gladly took their money and handed over the key without a word.

“Oh wow, Jak check out this tub! It's huge! We're definitely having sex in there at least twice.”

Jak rolled his eyes and chuckled. “You certainly have big plans for us.”

“We deserve a break! A sex-filled break. If I have my way, they will never get the stains out of the sheets, and we will walk funny for a month.”

Jak chuckled and leaned against the door frame as he watched Daxter poke around the bathroom. “Is eating in your big plan?”

“Oh yeah. Chocolate sauce and whipped cream and strawberries,” Daxter nodded. “Maybe some actual food at some point too, but I fully intend on covering you with chocolate and licking it off.”

Jak stared at Daxter, his face flushed. “Where the hell are you even _getting_ these ideas?”

Daxter grinned wickedly. “From all those romance novels Tess lent me! There's some good stuff in there, let me tell you.”

Jak rolled his eyes and shook his head. “Seriously?”

“Seriously!” Daxter grinned at Jak. “Let's go check out the bed.”

Jak chuckled and let Daxter lead him into the bedroom, where a large, ornate bed was the center of attention. “...that's impressive.”

“It's even bigger than our bed at the Palace!” Daxter grinned. “This was a brilliant idea.”

Jak nodded and gave a startled yell as Daxter tackled him, knocking him onto his side on the bed. “Dax!”

“I have been waiting _very_ patiently for this, Jak.”

“You didn't have to knock me over, Dax,” Jak muttered, rolling onto his back under Daxter and kissed him. “It's not like I'm going to run from you or anything.”

“No, but still. You're not gonna suddenly change your mind about me topping or something?”

Jak shook his head. “Why would I?”

“I dunno, you seem to like being in charge of these things.”

Jak chuckled. “Dax, I would never have agreed to it if I didn't like the idea.”

Daxter grinned down at him. “You do, huh?”

“Remind me to tell you about the dream I had where we had a foursome.”

Daxter's eyebrows shot up. “We had a foursome?”

“Mm,” Jak grinned sheepishly up at Daxter. “Me, you, your girl body, and your ottsel body.”

“Sounds hot,” Daxter chuckled, and dipped his head to kiss Jak. “I wonder what other dreams you've had about me?”

“I'll tell you later,” Jak murmured, kissing Daxter again, we had other plans for right now, don't we?”

“Mm.” Daxter got up off of Jak and stood. “That's true. And those plans involve you getting naked, gorgeous.”

Maybe it was pathetic and sad, but Jak loved it every time Daxter called him 'gorgeous'; it made his heart skip a beat and his stomach flutter like he was fourteen again and trying to hide the fact that every time Daxter smiled at him he went weak-kneed. Jak sat up on the bed and started to peel out of his clothes, watching Daxter do the same with hungry eyes. Daxter rummaged through Jak's pack and pulled out the bag of lube they had bought pulling out a bottle and leaving the rest on the side table as Jak kicked his pants and boxers into the pile he had made of his clothes on the floor. “...hey Dax?”

Daxter glanced at him, “What's up, Jak?”

“Come here for a minute? I want to look at you.”

Daxter blinked, but moved to stand in front of Jak. “Feast your eyes on your Sexy God-King, and worship me.”

Jak snorted. “'Give unto Daxter what is Daxter's'?”

Daxter grinned wider, and Jak leaned back to look at him. Still pale and freckled and skinny, but his wire-y build showed more muscle definition than his female form had. Skinny but strong legs leading up into trim hips and stomach, up to a thin chest and bony shoulders that lead down into thin but toned arms. Daxter's right shoulder had a thin white scar, all that remained of his encounter in the arena; Jak leaned in and pressed his lips to it. “Like what you see?” Daxter murmured as Jak kissed his way along Daxter's shoulder and up his throat.

“Mmm,” Jak tugged Daxter down into a kiss, “Yes, I do.”

Daxter hummed into the kiss and nudge Jak backward. “Come on. Up on the bed and lift your knees for me.”

Jak blushed, but he did as Daxter asked. Daxter spread Jak's legs apart, and Jak shifted, feeling suddenly very awkward. “Dax?”

Daxter opened the bottle of lubricant and spread some on his fingers. “Just need to see what I'm doing Jak.” Daxter flashed Jak a grin and pressed a finger gently against him. “Besides, now it's my turn to look.”

Jak's breath left him in a hiss at the feel of Daxter's fingers against him, rubbing in tiny circles at his entrance. “D-Dax?”

“I want to make sure this doesn't hurt you, Jak,” Daxter murmured softly. “Just relax.”

Jak swallowed hard and leaned back on his elbows. “R-right.” It felt so strange to be touched there, but he did as Daxter asked and focused on relaxing, though he shuddered when Daxter's finger slid inside him. “Ah-!”

“God, Jak, you should see yourself,” Daxter's finger slid in and out of Jak slowly and carefully. “So fucking hot.” Jak felt his face heating up as Daxter continued. “You're so tight and hot around my finger, Jak... I can't wait to be inside you. It felt so amazing when you were inside me as a woman. Obviously it's gonna be a little different, but I want to make you feel that amazing too, Jak.” Jak dropped flat onto his back and covered his eyes with one arm, his face burning and he moaned when a second finger joined the first inside of him. He felt stretched, awkwardly so, and he distantly acknowledged that there was some physical discomfort. Daxter's free hand slowly started pumping Jak's cock as he worked his fingers in and out of Jak, and Jak lost all thought of the discomfort. “It's like you're trying to pull me inside of you, Jak... you want me that badly?”

That was cheating, some distant part of Jak's brain thought. Daxter's fingers curled inside Jak and he left out a shocked cry as pleasure rushed through him. “ _Daxter!_ ”

 _“I'll take that as a yes,” Daxter purred at him, and Jak whimpered when he removed his fingers. “Don't worry, Jak, I'll give you what you want. Tell me what you want Jak. Look at me and tell me what you want.”_

 _Jak peeked at Daxter from under his arm. “Dax-”_

 _“I wanna hear you say it.”_

 _Jak leaned up and dragged Daxter into a forceful, hungry kiss. “I want you to fuck me, Daxter,” he moaned into the kiss. “So stop teasing and do it.”_

 _Daxter groaned and kissed Jak again before pulling away. “I can do that.” Daxter poured lube over his cock before he capped it and tossed the bottle up near Jak's head, stroking himself. “Oh _fuck_ this Is gonna be _so good_ Jak...”_

Jak rolled over onto his knees and planted his hands on the bed, spreading he knees wide. “Hurry up and do it, Dax...”

Daxter groaned and gripped Jak's hip with one hand as he guided himself inside Jak with the other. “Oh _fuck-!_ ” Jak moaned, dropping to his elbows and burying his face in his arms. He had been hurt worse before, but this- just felt strange. Good, but strange. Daxter draped himself over Jak's back, tucking his face between Jak's shoulder blades. “Tell me when I can-”

“ _Move,_ ” Jak moaned. “C'mon, Dax, _move!_ ”

Daxter groaned and pulled back, pulling slightly out of Jak before thrusting back in again, and again, and again. Jak cried out, rocking back into Daxter's movements as he stretched his hand in front of himself, knotting them in the pillows before he dragged one to him and bit down on it, muffling his grunts and cries into it as they moved together. Daxter shifted the angle of his hips and thrust hard inside of Jak, making Jak _yowl_ into the pillow, sparks of pleasure zinging up his spine. Daxter groaned and reached around, taking Jak's cock in hand and pumping it almost in time to his thrusts. “Come on, Jak, come for me. Scream my name.”

Jak shuddered and moaned as Daxter thrust into him and lifted his face from the pillow. “Daxter, oh _fuck, Daxter-!_ ”

“That's it, Jak, just like that, c'mon...”

On a particularly sharp thrust from Daxter, Jak let out a hoarse shout as he came. “ _DAXTER!_ ”

Daxter moaned, his rhythm faltering as he slammed into Jak several more times before coming with a cry. Jak moaned as he felt rushing warmth inside of him and slumped to the side, taking Daxter with him. Daxter groaned and curled against Jak's back his arm draped over Jak's waist. “That? Was so awesome.”

Jak hummed in agreement, easing his grip up off the poor, mangled pillow. At least he hadn't destroyed it. “...so what romance novel did you get that from?” He murmured after a few moments of just breathing.

Daxter nuzzled Jak's back. “Get what?”

“The 'tell me what you want' thing.”

Daxter lifted himself up and rested his chin on Jak's shoulder. “That? I just wanted to hear you say it.”

Jak's brows drew together as he frowned. “Why?”

“Because you're the hero of the world three times over, and hearing you demand that I fuck you is an amazing ego boost.”

Jak groaned and rolled his eyes. “Oh come on, Dax, really?”

“I'm serious! You sound amazingly hot doing it and I like hearing that _I'm_ the one you want.”

“I'll tell you as much as you wanna hear it, Dax.”

“Good, because your Sexy God-King commands it!”

Jak grabbed the pillow and swung it over his shoulder, hitting Daxter in the face with it. “I love you Daxter.”

“I love you too, man-wife.”

“I'm going to hit you again,” Jak warned.

“Kinky,” Daxter waggled his eyebrows at Jak, and Jak laughed.

This was absolutely perfect.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Wow. It's actually finished. I've been working on it for so long, I'm not sure what to do now... In any case, I hope you all have enjoyed reading this fic as much as I have enjoyed writing it, and thanks for being such wonderful readers.


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